Friday’s New York Islanders practice was a little different from most.
Select Season Ticket Members packed Northwell Health Ice Center for an open practice, getting an inside look at the day-to-day operations of the team. Head Coach Patrick Roy addressed the fans after the skate, with the team lining up for a stick salute to the blue and orange faithful.
“It's nice to have the support of them and see them participating and be part of the practice,” Roy said. “The players love this, and it's fun to have [the fans] around.”
Fans broke out in a chants of “Let’s Go Islanders!” while Sparky and Nyisles roamed the crowd taking pictures with fans. Several Islanders signed autographs when leaving the ice – a token of appreciation for the fan support.
“It's great for them to continuously show their support and be with us through thick and thin,” Bo Horvat said of the fan support at practice. “Obviously, we want to be playing a lot better in front of them at home and it all starts tomorrow night.”
As for the nuts and bolts of practice, Roy said he wanted the team to just shake off the rust of a few days off the ice.
“Just try to get our legs back,” Roy said. “Today was just get our body in compete mode and skating mode.”
