Greene and Pageau's Path to Long Island

This past February, Andy Greene and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each answered a phone call that subsequently transformed the cozy circumstances they'd grown accustomed to over the years. Upon receiving confirmation of their respective trades just eight days apart, Greene and Pageau departed from their former clubs -- the New Jersey Devils and the Ottawa Senators -- where they each had spent the entirety of their careers. They both caught the next flight out and embarked upon their future as members of the New York Islanders.

The Isles newcomers shared a similar background and trajectory that landed them on Long Island. After spending the bulk of the season with sub .500 teams and limited playoff experience over the last five years, Greene and Pageau were re-energized by the zing of playing against fierce competition for a playoff spot.
Neither Greene nor Pageau had settled into a place of their own on Long Island at the time of the NHL pause, so they each returned back to their former cities to spend quarantine until the season's hopeful return. The duo utilized the copious time to digest their whirlwind experiences that transpired over the course of three momentous weeks.

READ: GREENE ADDS VETERAN PRESENCE TO ISLES' BLUELINE
Isles President and GM Lou Lamoriello orchestrated a trade with his former club to acquire Greene, whose veteran presence stabilized the Islanders' blueline. The former New Jersey Devils captain, who played under Lamoriello for nine years, was dealt to the Isles on Feb. 16 in exchange for prospect David Quenneville and a 2021 second-round pick.
Within a day of receiving news of his trade, Greene displayed the embroidered Isles crest centered on his blue and orange threads and skated alongside his new teammates. During his Isles debut, he registered his first point as an Islander on the sole goal of their 2-1 loss to Arizona.
"That was really a whirlwind," Greene said in retrospect. "[I got the phone call] on a Sunday afternoon. All of a sudden at 5:30 [p.m.] I've got a car going to pick me up and take me to the airport and meet the new team on the road. It was almost nice that it was an afternoon game when I went to Arizona. I met the guys down for breakfast, we had a quick team meeting and then it was right to the rink and was game time."
Greene was immediately embraced by the group. Ryan Pulock, who became Greene's eventual d-partner, even offered that Greene take number six from him. Greene respectfully declined, despite having worn number six throughout the entirety of his career with the Devils. Instead, he accepted the next available number; four.
"That was unbelievable for him to offer that," Greene said. "What I told [Pulock] and what I told Lou was that, 'Six was given to me by Lou a long time ago. It wasn't a number I chose. It was my number, but there was no personal attachment to it besides just being my number...It was such a selfless act of [Pulock] to just to offer it up."
Having played an impressive 14 seasons in the NHL, Greene is well-versed, but even for someone of his tenure and experience, there was an adjustment period as he got acclimated to the nuances of playing for the Islanders.
"I've been in one place for my whole career," Greene explained. "Then, all of a sudden, every single thing you do going to the new team is something new. Whether it's going to the practice rink or going anywhere in the lounge. Just typical routines that you've had set in stone and have just done and never thought about. Now, it's, 'Okay what's next? How do they do meetings here? How do they work out? Do you work out before or after?' Everything is a learning phase."

READ: CATCHING UP WITH ANDY GREENE
But even as Greene traversed through the foreign terrain, he leveraged the insight and familiarity he had acquired over the years from playing under Lamoriello and repeatedly battling the Isles as a former Metropolitan Division and tri-state opponent.
"I knew going into it, it was going to be a really good group, a really strong group, really well-coached and detail-oriented," Greene said. "That much wasn't a surprise. It was just a surprise to see a different organization and how a different team is operated and run."
For Pageau, his path to the Islanders shared similarities to Greene's and was full of novelty.
From the start of the season up until the trade deadline, buzz circulated around the 27-year-old center, who was a highly-touted, pending unrestricted free-agent.
At the deadline, Pageau was dealt to the Islanders in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2020 Draft and a conditional third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He subsequently inked a six-year contract.
For the Ottawa native, the weeks following his arrival prompted a convolution of feelings.
"There was a lot of emotion at the time," Pageau reflected. "The trade, the first game against the Rangers, then the dads trip, and then my comeback to Ottawa; there was just so much emotion. Quarantine has given me the time to take all of these emotions back and feel them and live them a little bit more quietly. [I've been able to] think about them and how it all happened."

READ: BONJOUR PAGEAU!
Fortunately for Pageau, upon his arrival, there were a few familiar faces who were thrilled to welcome him. Josh Bailey, Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Pulock and Pageau all represented Team Canada together at the 2018 World Championships.
Dating back to his childhood spent in the outskirts of Ottawa, Pageau was family friends with Derick Brassard. The pals played for the same youth hockey association, Gatineau L'Intrepide, during different years.
As professional hockey players, their paths overlapped from 2016-18 as the French-speaking duo played for their hometown team of Ottawa. Two seasons later, Pageau joined Brassard on Long Island and even sat side-by-side in the Isles dressing room.
"That was one thing I'm going to need to change when we go back, I don't want to sit beside Brass again," Pageau joked. "No, it was great. I've known him for a while and I think he helped me a lot to help me with some questions, a little concern that I had about the hockey or the city. Not only him, there's so many guys, so many people that helped me through that transition. I felt such a warm welcome from everyone."
Isles fans warmly welcomed Pageau as they adopted the 'Pag-eau! Pag-eau! Pag-eau!' chant from Ottawa and adoringly echoed the song throughout NYCB Live during Pageau's memorable Isles debut vs the Rangers. Pageau scored his first goal as an Islander and stood up for his new teammate Michael Dal Colle, following a high open-ice hit.
"Everyone welcomed me so well and were so nice with me," Pageau said. "It made the transition so much easier. There's a reason why I'm so excited at just the idea of going back to New York and settling in there."
Instagram from @pagertrain: Thank you everyone for the great welcome.
READ: PAGEAU MAKES IMPACT IN ISLES DEBUT
As the initial shock dissolved and the level of comfort expanded for the newcomers, the season was abruptly halted due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The pause afforded Greene and Pageau the rare opportunity to reflect upon the blur they each had experienced.
Their paths to the Islanders may not have been identical, but the wholehearted welcomes they received and boosted confidence they received as they participated in meaningful hockey left the newest additions eager to return to action.
"I really feel like the organization is committed to winning," Pageau said. "That's something that, as a player, couldn't be a better motivation."