Bellows and Dobson Bonding at Islanders Camp

Kieffer Bellows remembers what his first couple of Islanders development camps were like and how older players like Mathew Barzal showed him the way.
Now as a 20-year-old with NHL aspirations, Bellows is looking to provide that guidance for another young up-and-comer, 2018 first-round pick Noah Dobson.
"Dobber and I are really close," Bellows said after the second day of on-ice drills at Islanders Rookie Camp. "We hang out together outside of the rink, whether it's heading to the mall, watching movies, playing video games."

They've only known each other since the team's Mini Camp in July, but the shared experience of being a first-round pick has been a bond. Bellows was drafted 19th overall in 2016, while Dobson was taken 12th overall this past June, so Bellows can relate to the feeling of coming to camp as a highly-touted pick.

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"He's obviously been around here for a few more years than I have, so he was great when I first came here," Dobson said. "He showed me the ropes. He's kind of been in the same situation as me, he was a first-round pick, a young guy trying to fit in here and show the organization that he belongs up here, so we've become good buddies."
For an 18 and 20 year old, bonding means playing video games like NHL, Madden and a little Fortnite. The close confines of hotel living and spending time at the rink also play a role.
Coaches often look to older players to mentor the younger ones. They can influence it by pairing players together as roommates and stallmates to try, but sometimes - as in the case of Bellows and Dobson, or Barzal and Dennis Seidenberg last season - it just happens naturally.
"Two elite players that kind of gravitate towards each other is nice to see," said Brent Thompson, the Bridgeport bench boss who is running the drills at rookie camp.

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Dobson said he had some nerves on the first day of camp, but settled in as the practice wore on. He's been in his fair share of big and unfamiliar situations, playing in Austria at 15, winning a Memorial Cup with Acadie-Bathurst in May and playing at the World Junior Summer Showcase in July, but having a helping hand to navigate his first rookie camp doesn't hurt.
"It's good to have a guy like that who is in the same shoes as you and can help you out if you need anything," Dobson said.
Bellows sees it as more a friendship between two players rather than a mentorship, but he's happy to help whenever the young d-man needs any advice.
"He's a really top-end player, a great defenseman," Bellows said. "If he ever has any questions or anything about camp, where to go, what time, he knows he can always ask me."