New York Islanders Pregame Availability | NYI vs COL (12/04/25)

your thoughts facing Nelson first time with him. Yeah, I know. I asked him this morning how the what the uh visitor’s room looked like cuz none of us have none of us have been over there and neither had he. So, got to chuckle with that. But um no, it’s great to see him, great to have him here. Um, you know, they’re the the best team in the NHL right now. And, uh, we have a big task at hand, but expecting a warm welcome for him and, you know, Brock meant a lot to this room and a lot to this organization for a long time and had plenty of big moments and, you know, grew up here and everyone got to see him do that and so it’s uh, it’s great to have him back and great to see him and, um, I know the fans are probably excited too to get him, you know, give him a little love that he deserves. Um, just be a good night. Was it strange to face him a few weeks ago in Colorado or is it Do you expect to be a little bit easier tonight or not? So much it’ll Yeah, it’ll probably be more weird tonight because this is, you know, this is uh our building and we’re on the island and uh this is where it all started. So, uh I think it’ll be a little bit more uh there’ll be a little more emphasis on tonight. I just want to ask you looking ahead to the weekend, it’s the dad’s trip. Just how excited are you to bring your dad the weekend? Oh, it’s great. The the dad’s trips, the mentors trips. Um, you know, guys bring someone that means a lot to them, whether it’s their dad or uncle or mentor or brother. Um, and they have a great weekend. We have a great weekend. Get to spend some time with my pops, which is awesome. And, um, just get to enjoy this experience of playing in the NHL with him. And, um, the sacrifices that, you know, our parents have made, our fathers and moms and our families have made for us to get to this point. um to spend a few days with them in the NHL and get have them get to experience that. It’s it’s a pretty special week and uh one the the dads are definitely circling and so are we. Of course, it’s a really tight game on Tuesday. A lot of block shots, full team effort. What worked in that game to to pull off that win? Uh I think we stuck together very well. I think we played solid defensively. We didn’t give them much and you know we were able to score a couple big goals as well and we got the win. I want to ask you about Brock Nelson. of course, you know, you were a rookie in the league and he was there. What kind of veteran uh leadership and advice did he give you when you were coming up? No, he he was uh he was great to me. One of the guys I talked to the most on the team and got to play with him a little bit at the end there as well, which was a lot of fun. And, you know, just uh just one of one a really good guy and a great player. So, it’s uh it’s fun to to play against him. What did what did you take away from the way he carried himself in in in games and and off the ice? No, just a just a professional on and off the ice. He, you know, took great care of his body off the ice and on the ice, you know, always always uh took it seriously, but with a with a smile on his face as well, which was it was a great learning point. I want to ask you about the the dad’s mentors trip this weekend. You’re bringing your father-in-law. How excited are you to kind of let him into kind of a weekend in your life? No, it’s it’s going to be a lot of fun. you know, he’s uh he uh he he likes hockey a lot and it’s I think it’s going to be a good thing for for him to see all this and just a great experience. Did he ever play hockey or? No, never. No, never. Just a a hockey fan and he he uh he’s a big island fan now as well, which is which is a lot of fun. So, it’s going to be fun for him to to see all this. Has he been able to watch you play yet? Yeah, he he’s been over here a couple times. So, he uh it’s always one of his favorites favorite trips to go over here and, you know, especially spend some time with his daughter, but also come here and and watch hockey. So, I think, you know, just a great experience. What’s your relationship like with him? Uh it’s it’s very good. Uh I mean, I’ve been knowing him known him for for a lot a lot of years now. We we play a lot of golf in the summers and you know he’s a a great guy and you know happy to have him as my father-in-law as well. This is your first dad. Uh no no second second. So my last time my my dad was here but yeah you were in a similar situation as Brock a couple years ago going back to Vancouver. Just what what was that like to go through? A lot of emotions. Uh I’ll be honest with you. um a lot of emotions of you know um you know obviously starting your career there um building a family there and I mean he he was in the same situation as me and you know he was even here longer so um no I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of emotions for him tonight excitement um I think his uh his family’s in town too so that’s great I mean I think all the fans loved him here um he was a you know a phenomenal hockey player here did a lot for the organization and he deserves a big anthem tonight was it hard was it hard If I’m remembering right, I think you scored in that game. Was it so may I guess it probably wasn’t, but like was it hard at all to focus at points that night? Um I mean, yeah. I mean I think I just wanted to get through the game to be honest with you. Um I wasn’t really sure what to expect or um you know and you know the way I kind of left was it wasn’t great, not going to lie. You know, just like the whole thing situation that went down um and the way uh and the way it happened. But I mean, I couldn’t be more happy to be here and obviously be an Islander. But yeah, no, I I’m expecting, you know, the fans to to be really um you know, excited for him to be back and um he deserves that tonight. What What does a tribute video mean? A lot. Yeah. I mean, like I said, he’s he gave so much to this organization. He gives so much to the community and and the team and and his teammates and um to see, you know, your appreciation. Uh you’re appreciated for that kind of thing. It’s it’s amazing. and you know hopefully he he gets a good one here tonight. What’s the experience like of just physically being in this locker room? Yeah, it’s weird. It’s you’re never over there so it’s it’s a different feeling I’m sure for him especially. Um you know it’s uh it’s weird. Yeah, it’s the only way I can describe it. So um yeah, but I mean I think just for for him just to enjoy it and enjoy being back, enjoy um being in front of the the fans again and um yeah, hopefully we we come out on the right side of it though. I guess I want to ask you about last game. Of course, block shots were a huge, you know, key to success in that effort, but what kind of effort are you looking to put out tonight against the Avalanch? Yeah, same thing. I mean, you know, willing to do whatever it takes to win. Um, they’re a good hockey team. They they’ve been playing obviously unbelievable this so far this year and um it’s a good test for us tonight and we got to be at our best to beat him. How much different is it when a player comes back to, you know, his old homestead? Well, I’m sure he’s excited about it. I mean, uh, played years played here for what, 14 years or something like that. So, I mean, I’m sure it means a lot to him and, um, I’m sure he’s going to have, uh, goosebump before the game. I mean, and I’m the fans should give him a great reception as well. So, um I feel like it’s um his stay in on Long Island was probably like a great experience and and and the team did well under him and um I just see positive things for him right now. I mean, he’s playing with a great team and their team has a lot of success. So, and it’s a trade I think right now that allow us to have a really good young player in Richie and a first round pick for the next draft. So, um, it feels like right now, I mean, both teams are pretty happy about the trade, and that’s the objective, isn’t it? Yeah. Patrick, what’s it like going from one place to another when you’ve been in that first place for so long? You know what that’s like? Yeah. When I when I um when I got traded to uh to Montreal and from Montreal to Colorado, sorry. It was a big deal for me coming back and and um obviously I mean two Stanley three three Stanley Cup final. I mean, winning two Stanley Cup in Montreal and the way I left was probably very different than the way Brock left here. So, I mean, it was maybe a little more more like nerve-wracking for me in a way that you know, you always want your former team and and fans uh to uh acknowledge what you did and and and and love what you did and and that that’s the purpose of for any hockey players. I mean, and I’m sure uh Brock hoped to see our fans cheer for him when they going to show him on the jumbotron. What do you What do you guys have to do tonight to slow this Avalanche team down? Well, the neutral zone is going to be very important. I mean, it’s it’s decisions that we’re going to make. It’s going to be key and I thought last game we did a good job in in a neutral zone and help us a lot. So, I think we got to do the exact same thing uh here tonight. with how active their DR, is it more of an emphasis on getting pucks deep behind them or you don’t really want to change? Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, Mar and Ta and those guys, I mean, Jaw and even Manson, I mean, Burns, they’re good defense. I mean, it’s you’re not losing only one game by accident. I mean, so we’re going to have to play a really good game um to give oursel a chance. I know you mentioned that game in Colorado. Even though it was the only loss of the trip, it was your your best game. Why did you say that? And also what can you do tonight? Because the way um we contained them, you know, I mean um we kept Colorado to low shots and that doesn’t happen very often. Um I think you I haven’t checked so I’m saying something maybe over my head, but I don’t think you have enough fingers in one hand to count the number of times McKinnon was shut out. So I mean to do that you better play a good game. Do do you know yet whether uh PJO will travel this weekend? Pjo will travel with the team, but I don’t I don’t know if he’s going to play a game or not. We we haven’t put a time frame on it. We’re just going to make sure that he’s 100% when he comes back. How do you feel? You mentioned Cal, like how do you feel he’s sort of developing here in his first full season? Outstanding. You know what? I I I I feel like especially last game, um I thought that line was outstanding. um him and and Simon, they played a Olstrom, they played a really good game and I feel like he’s he’s uh he’s learning very fast and and uh made a really nice play on that goal that gave us a two nothing lead against Tampa and um I’m very I’m very happy with him. Very happy. I love his progression and how he stays in the present moment and and focused game after game and um that’s he deserve a lot of credit for what he’s been doing. What what was it the last game that maybe made it a little bit of a tougher game for Barz’s line. Um you know they acknowledge that they didn’t have the best game. The last game maybe. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, no. Yeah. I know. But but but I will say I will say this. The last game, they were not at their best. That’s fine. It happens. But I thought in the first and third period they were fine. It’s in the second period they gave a little more chances to the cooer of line and Celli. But I mean I I thought in the third I was not nervous to put Barzi five on six because I thought he had his game going again. And and when Barzi focus on playing well defensively, I really feel that it creates some some offense to him. He gets the puck, he gets on the rush, and when he moves the puck to Anders or to Joe Dwayne, I think that that makes him a special player. Thank you, Patrick.

Hear from Simon Holmstrom, Anders Lee, Bo Horvat and Head Coach Patrick Roy ahead of tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

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