EAST MEADOW, NY — The New York Islanders gave the fans a glimpse into the future on Wednesday, reviving the Blue & White Scrimmage as part of their offseason rookie camp. It was the first installment of the prospect contest since 2019, played in front of a packed Northwell Health Ice Center crowd.
This year’s scrimmage comes on the heels of a historic draft for the team, taking Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick. Wednesday provided a first look at the defenseman in an Islanders uniform, and Schaefer got his first taste of the fanbase.
“The fans are amazing,” Schaefer said after the contest. “It’s crazy to see how much the fans come behind you, and it plays a big part in the game and the team. You’re not going to win games with just the team, the fans also have a big impact when they’re cheering you on and helping you and motivating you.”
Team White took home this year’s edition in a 4-0 victory. Four different players lit the lamp in the game, a pair in each half of the two-period exhibition. Luca Romano, a third-round pick in this year’s draft, opened the scoring on a feed from first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson. Quinn Finley added on later in the first half of play on a one-time feed from Daniil Prokhorov, this year’s second-round draft choice.
In the second stanza, defenseman Brandon Chabrier finished a one-handed, tuck-in move on a breakaway to make it 3-0 White, followed by Calle Odelius sealing the game on an empty-netter. Goaltenders Tristan Lennox and Burke Hood shut down Team Blue’s offense, making saves on the likes of top prospects Schaefer, Cole Eiserman, and Dany Nelson throughout the contest.
“The Islanders haven’t had something like this in a few years, so the fans are pretty fired up for this one, for this summer,” center Kamil Bednarik said. “We appreciate the time that we got here, it was a great week, and hopefully another good day tomorrow [Thursday] to close it off.”
After spending the first two days in practice getting to work together as a unit, Wednesday’s scrimmage was a chance for players to begin to fine-tune their skills ahead of the offseason. Aitcheson, the team’s 17th-overall pick, said it’s about “trying to be a sponge” and putting what he learned in practice into a game environment.
“It was definitely super fast,” Aitcheson said. “So many great players, so many highly skilled players with speed, so it was good.”
Reflecting on playing in front of the big crowd, Aitcheson said it exceeded his expectations. “It’s a development camp, so you don’t think that you’re gonna get as many fans, but the support was unbelievable, and it was so exciting,” he said.
With Prospect Camp coming to a close on Thursday, the scrimmage also acts as a precursor for what’s next as players prepare to try and crack the big club. For Schaefer, in addition to doing off-ice work and building up muscle, he’ll be working out with NHLers Sean Monahan, Jamie Drysdale, Scott Laughton, along with former Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano as his coach. Schaefer says working with current and former top NHL players will be vital in enhancing his skillset ahead of his first training camp.
“I talked to [Islanders forward Mathew] Barzal here, he’s a great player and I’d love the opportunity to go one-on-one versus him,” Schaefer said. “He’s such a skilled player that I can learn a lot from him, coming down on me and what he looks for when he’s playing one-on-one.”
Bednarik will return to Boston University as a sophomore next season and will train with his Terriers teammates, but this week was a step in perfecting his game.
“I think I’ve been pretty good all week. I learned a lot from the staff, they helped me a lot, and the guys too. I learned a lot from just watching them play,” Bednarik said. “Hopefully, I can take some of these things with me into the summer and then into the season.”
