Warren fulfills lifelong dream, makes NHL debut for hometown Islanders

PHILADELPHIA -- Marshall Warren jumped around goalie Ilya Sorokin and sprinted onto the ice for warmups at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday.

The traditional rookie lap marked the final steps to fulfilling a lifelong dream for the 24-year-old defenseman, who made his NHL debut with his hometown New York Islanders in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

That the journey began and reached its highest point in the same jersey made it a bit sweeter for Warren, who grew up an Islanders fan on Long Island, often making the 10-minute drive from his home in Laurel Hollow, New York, to the Islanders’ former practice facility in nearby Syosset.

"It's been a crazy journey," Warren said after practice Friday. "It's pretty hard to describe. I was driving here and I was like, I was a little kid at Iceworks, skating in that Little Islanders program.

“Who would have thought you'd ever be in this position? It's really surreal. I don't have any words for it."

That crazy journey had several bumps along the way and knocked him down, but never out.

His standout youth hockey career on Long Island led him to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in Michigan, where he played two seasons. In 2018-19 he had 34 points (eight goals, 26 assists) in 58 games with the NTDP Under-18 team and was No. 61 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking for the 2019 NHL Draft. But he didn't hear his name called until the sixth round (No. 166) by the Minnesota Wild.

Seventeen players were selected from that NTDP U-18 team. Warren was the 17th.

The message that night from NTDP director of player personnel Rod Braceful?

"I just told him, 'Hey, don't be disappointed in yourself. You should soak up the moment and not be disappointed.' He's going to go a long way and he can play in the NHL."

Warren went from the draft to a four-season career at Boston College. But the Wild opted not to sign him, making him an unrestricted free agent after the 2022-23 season. He took advantage of a fifth season of NCAA eligibility to play at the University of Michigan in 2023-24 and had 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 41 games.

When his season ended, Warren received the call he always wanted. The Islanders signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract on April 16, 2024.

He played all of last season with Bridgeport of the American Hockey League and had 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 53 games. That experience gave him a certain comfort level when he arrived for training camp this season.

"Your first year you're learning everything, and then your second year everything slows down a little bit," he said.

Warren was a standout during camp and was one of the final players sent to the AHL before New York’s season opener on Oct. 9. But he left an impression on Islanders coach Patrick Roy, as did his five points (two goals, three assists) in his first four AHL games this season.

With New York placing defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) on injured reserve Thursday, the first phone call to take his spot went to Warren.

"He was really good in the training camp," Roy said Friday. "Thought he played really well. He was [AHL] Player of the Week in Bridgeport. ... It was nice to see him be rewarded for what he was doing."

That reward came just before noon Saturday, when he got his spotlight skate with friends and family watching.

He then made the most of the opportunity, getting two assists in 11:20 of ice time. Warren passed through the crease for an Anthony Duclair tap-in goal at 6:15 of the second period, then fired a puck at the net from the blue line that Maxim Tsyplakov tipped in at 4:21 of the third period.

Warren joined Rich Pilon (Oct. 6, 1988) as the only Islanders defensemen to have at least two points in his NHL debut.

"You dream about it," Warren said Saturday. "Like, how many nights I've dreamt of that? And when it comes to fruition, it's really cool.

“Obviously I would have liked to get the win, but it was a good experience."

Warren's supporters weren't limited to the stands; he even had two on the opposing team.

"It was pretty awesome," said Flyers forward Trevor Zegras, who grew up about 60 miles north of Warren in Bedford, New York, and was a teammate for two seasons at the NTDP. "I've known him my whole life. At the U.S. program, we were roommates. Pretty cool to see him out there."

Flyers defenseman Cam York also was an NTDP teammate but didn't realize until just before the game that Warren was going to be making his debut.

"It was awesome," York said. "He's had a long road. He's worked for everything he's gotten. And as a former teammate, it's really nice to see him succeed. ... Just super proud of him and happy for him."

Next comes a game at the Boston Bruins on Tuesday (7:15 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NESN, TVAS), the second of a four-game road trip. Romanov remains unavailable, so Warren could be in the lineup again. But his first chance to play for the Islanders at UBS Arena wouldn't be until Nov. 2, and a lot can change before then.

But for one day at least he had his moment, the little kid in a tiny jersey now a grown man with his very own Islanders jersey.

"It was pretty emotional," Warren said. "A lot of hard work. Would have loved to get the win there, but it was a pretty cool experience, one I'll remember for a lifetime. Really emotional."

NHL.com staff writer William Douglas and independent correspondent Stefen Rosner contributed to this report