Day Three of New York Islanders Rookie Camp ran a bit differently. After skating as a full group for the first two days, forwards and defensemen were separated on Saturday to sharpen some specific skills.
“A lot of puck touches, shooting off the line, different kind of shots,” Aidan Fulp said. “Different kind of retrievals and picking pucks off the wall, just refining those skills. Every day is getting better and today was another great day.”
It’s the first rookie camp for Fulp, a 23-year-old defenseman who recently wrapped up his NCAA hockey career at Western Michigan University. The Westfield, Indiana native shined defensively in his junior season last year, reaching career-highs in blocks (50) and shots (53). Fulp’s offensive attributes stood out as well, as he sported a career-best 15 points and notching 13 assists.
Three days into camp, Fulp noticed the heightened physicality and increased speed of the professional roster in practices compared to his experience in the NCAA.
“It’s definitely more competitive here,” Fulp said. “Everybody is bigger, faster and stronger. The biggest thing is making plays quicker and identifying options faster.”
With his collegiate background and an undrafted path to professional hockey, Fulp has a lot in common with Travis Mitchell, 23, who completed four seasons at Cornell and posted career highs in points (19), goals (6) and blocks (59). After playing in all 34 games for Cornell in his senior year, the South Lyon, Michigan native is ready to take on the challenge of the workload of his first professional season coming up in Bridgeport.