Islanders Enjoy Family Skate 

Wearing a #40 jersey and mini helmet to match, six-year-old Alex Varlamov was between the pipes, tending goal like his dad.

The mini netminder was accompanied by a trio of little skaters, as Casey Cizikas, Brock Nelson and Cal Clutterbuck’s children lined up to take shots the way their fathers do in warmups. 

“He had a blast today,” Semyon Varlamov said of his son. “He had a lot of fun skating, and I had a lot of fun watching him today with the boys out there. It was pretty special to skate around with everyone.”

The New York Islanders enjoyed an afternoon of skating and smiles with their children, loved ones and friends at MetLife Stadium on Thursday afternoon. The players had their first taste of the outdoor rink setup in New Jersey, while getting a chance to share the unique and special experience with their families. 

“This is unbelievable honestly,” Alexander Romanov said. “I’ve never been in an American football stadium before, it was the first time of my life, it’s unreal.”

Sharing the new experience and taking in the atmosphere with his wife and daughter made Thursday all the more special for Romanov, who credits them as his support system.

“It’s so important, my family and my wife and baby daughter,” Romanov said. “They support me all the time.” 

Skating outdoors brought out nostalgia for the players, as many of them played pond hockey growing up. MetLife Stadium’s 82,500 seats provided a much bigger and different backdrop than the outdoor rinks they grew up on, but brought back memories of their childhood. 

“It’s a great experience for everybody to skate together on open ice,” Varlamov said. “It brings back memories from back in the day.” 

“I felt like a kid again,” said Kyle Palmieri who also skated outdoors at Dodger Stadium during his Anaheim Ducks days. “It was awesome, it’s a beautiful day outside.”

Palmieri brought his son Luca – who recently turned two years old - for his third ever outing on the ice.(Luca’s first time was at the Islanders holiday party at Northwell Health Ice Center and the second time was at Northwell Presents The Park at UBS Arena.) Palmieri said that while Luca is still finding his legs on the ice, he and his family had an unforgettable experience on Thursday.

“My little guy is a little young and not quite skating on his own yet, but it's definitely It’s one of those things that as a family, we’ll remember forever,” Palmieri said. 

Some of the kids are a little older, suiting up in full gear and playing independently with each other. Varlamov’s son Alex began skating about two years ago and is naturally gravitating toward playing goalie to be like his dad.

“He always plays goalie, he’s skating every day and he absolutely loves it,” Varlamov said. “I didn’t encourage him at all. I just want him to take some time and decide what he wants to do. I would never push him to be a hockey player, I just wanted him to try it, and one day he tried it and he loved it. It’s been fun to watch him play so far.”

For many family members and children of the players, the experience was a memorable first. Romanov’s one-year-old daughter was taking in all the sights and sounds of skating with her parents on the ice with so many people buzzing by. 

“She’s so cute, for my daughter it was her first experience like that,” Romanov said. “With so many people, she tried to pay attention to everything, it was funny.”

Matt Martin, who is one of four Islanders who played in the 2014 Stadium Series, said the experience this time around has a new meaning now that he’s a father. 

“It’s way, way better,” Martin said. “To be honest with you, as cool as the experience is for us players, it’s that much more special to experience it with your kids and loved ones. Get a lot of family pictures and pictures of them with the other kids. It’s something special to look back on.”