Tsyplakov and Duclair Enjoy First Road Trip with Isles

With many flights, nights in various cities across the country and lots of time at the hotel, the New York Islanders got to bond as a team on their first road trip of the season. For newcomers Anthony Duclair and Max Tsyplakov, it was an opportunity for them to further integrate themselves on the team.

“It’s nice to get out on the road and get to know all the guys on a different level,” Duclair said on Wednesday. “It's always good to do those team little bonding trips early on in the season. It’s good to acclimate especially as one of those new faces here.”

Duclair is a seasoned vet in the NHL, but said there’s always an adjustment period with a new group of guys and place to live. For him, it’s been an easy and quick transition to Long Island.

“A lot of guys have been here for a long time, so it's obviously a tight group and family environment,” Duclair said. “For me, it was really easy to get to know the guys and feel comfortable off the bat.”

The 29-year-old winger had a strong level of familiarity with the Isles locker room before he was acquired in the offseason. He knew his linemates prior, as he met Mathew Barzal in St. Louis for the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, and was also roommates with Bo Horvat when they played for Canada at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Duclair skated with fellow French-Canadian Julien Gauthier in the summer and played with JG Pageau and Mike Reilly on the Ottawa Senators.

“It’s nice to have him around,” Pageau said of Duclair. “He's a good friend of mine, and it's just fun traveling around, we share some good stories together. We have some good laughs around the around the rink, and it's good to have him on our team.”

On the other hand, Tsyplakov had a more drastic transition coming over from the KHL, where he played six seasons for Spartak Moskva. The 26-year-old said his trip has been a lot of fun and he’s been enjoying the journey of adjusting to a new league.

“My first trip, all good, I like it, the new emotion [of the] new season,” Tsyplakov said.

The Isles coaching staff and Tsyplakov’s teammates have been impressed with his focus and understanding on the ice, but the Russian winger has also been comfortable being himself in the locker room, cracking jokes and teaching a little Russian to his teammates here and there.

“His personality is coming out and the boys are just loving it,” Lee said. “He’s really funny.”

The Islanders have a welcoming culture where new guys feel included from day one. With new faces in the organization, going out to dinners and spending quality time on the road always brings the team together.

“Always nice to get on the road early in the season especially when you have new faces, being able to spend time with each of them, get out on the town and have some dinner and get to know them better,” Lee said. “Allows them to adjust as well and they’ve fit seamlessly into this room and into our game and they’ve been great additions for us.”