As expected, Scott Mayfield joined the New York Islanders on Day One of Training Camp on Thursday, after a productive summer of recovering from an ankle injury that he was battling all season last year.
“It feels like a big reset, I’m feeling good out there,” Mayfield said. “I love where my body’s at, I love the time I put in this summer. It’s a big camp for me.”
On Thursday, the 31-year-old defenseman skated in a pair with Mike Reilly, who is excited to see him back on the ice.
“Adds some good depth for sure,” Reilly said. “We were moving a lot of things around last year, with the d-pairs, so it’s good to have him back.”
Mayfield appeared in 41 games last season, recording 70 hits and 106 blocks before his ankle injury shut him down in late February, so his time with Head Coach Patrick Roy was very limited.
“I’m still familiarizing myself with [Roy], I think I only got 10 games under him,” Mayfield said. “But I have a good idea of what he wants from me, and I know what I need to do to play well.”
For Mayfield and the rest of the roster, Day One of Training Camp was exactly what they expected under Roy - a hard, tough skate to prepare them for the season. Mayfield said he's excited to dive right in without having to worry about an injury.
“Today was hard and physical,” Mayfield said. “He’s definitely teaching some fundamental stuff that we’re going to have to learn and make sure we execute. But it’s good for us, it only makes you stronger.”
