Stefen Rosner
@stefenrosner.bsky.social
New York Islanders beat reporter for NHL.com, thehockeynews.com/isles & theelmonters.com / Co-host of Hockey Night in New York.
#Isles lines vs. #LeafsForever:
Lee-Barzal-Heineman
Drouin-Ritchie-Holmstrom
Shabanov-Pageau-Tsyplakov
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Mayfield-McWard
Rittich
Sorokin
Lee-Barzal-Heineman
Drouin-Ritchie-Holmstrom
Shabanov-Pageau-Tsyplakov
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Mayfield-McWard
Rittich
Sorokin
January 3, 2026 at 11:43 PM
#Isles lines vs. #LeafsForever:
Lee-Barzal-Heineman
Drouin-Ritchie-Holmstrom
Shabanov-Pageau-Tsyplakov
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Mayfield-McWard
Rittich
Sorokin
Lee-Barzal-Heineman
Drouin-Ritchie-Holmstrom
Shabanov-Pageau-Tsyplakov
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Mayfield-McWard
Rittich
Sorokin
David Rittich leads out #Isles. Joseph Woll leads out #LeafsForever. Warmups underway in Elmont.
January 3, 2026 at 11:36 PM
David Rittich leads out #Isles. Joseph Woll leads out #LeafsForever. Warmups underway in Elmont.
Per #Isles media site (as expected):
Ilya Sorokin has been activated off IR, will back up David Rittich vs. #LeafsForever .
Marcus Hogberg has been returned to Bridgeport.
Ilya Sorokin has been activated off IR, will back up David Rittich vs. #LeafsForever .
Marcus Hogberg has been returned to Bridgeport.
January 2, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Per #Isles media site (as expected):
Ilya Sorokin has been activated off IR, will back up David Rittich vs. #LeafsForever .
Marcus Hogberg has been returned to Bridgeport.
Ilya Sorokin has been activated off IR, will back up David Rittich vs. #LeafsForever .
Marcus Hogberg has been returned to Bridgeport.
You have to assume the #Isles are going to be calling up another defenseman ahead of tomorrow's game vs #LeafsForever.
Don't think it will be Mitchell, as he loses waiver exemption status if he plays one more game.
George still isn't back yet.
Could be McWard -- he looked good in training camp.
Don't think it will be Mitchell, as he loses waiver exemption status if he plays one more game.
George still isn't back yet.
Could be McWard -- he looked good in training camp.
January 2, 2026 at 4:39 PM
You have to assume the #Isles are going to be calling up another defenseman ahead of tomorrow's game vs #LeafsForever.
Don't think it will be Mitchell, as he loses waiver exemption status if he plays one more game.
George still isn't back yet.
Could be McWard -- he looked good in training camp.
Don't think it will be Mitchell, as he loses waiver exemption status if he plays one more game.
George still isn't back yet.
Could be McWard -- he looked good in training camp.
#Isles lines at Friday's practice (No Horvat, Rittich):
Lee-Barzal-Heineman
Shabanov-Pageau-Tsyplakov
Drouin-Ritchie-Holmstrom
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
E: Duclair
D rotating (went like this first):
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Boqvist-Mayfield
Sorokin
Hogberg
Lee-Barzal-Heineman
Shabanov-Pageau-Tsyplakov
Drouin-Ritchie-Holmstrom
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
E: Duclair
D rotating (went like this first):
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Boqvist-Mayfield
Sorokin
Hogberg
January 2, 2026 at 4:18 PM
#Isles lines at Friday's practice (No Horvat, Rittich):
Lee-Barzal-Heineman
Shabanov-Pageau-Tsyplakov
Drouin-Ritchie-Holmstrom
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
E: Duclair
D rotating (went like this first):
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Boqvist-Mayfield
Sorokin
Hogberg
Lee-Barzal-Heineman
Shabanov-Pageau-Tsyplakov
Drouin-Ritchie-Holmstrom
MacLean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
E: Duclair
D rotating (went like this first):
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-DeAngelo
Boqvist-Mayfield
Sorokin
Hogberg
Ilya Sorokin (lower body, IR) and Marcus Hogberg are working with Sergei Naumovs before #Isles skate.
Sorokin was out early with Naumov. Hogerg joined them a bit later on.
Sorokin was out early with Naumov. Hogerg joined them a bit later on.
January 2, 2026 at 3:41 PM
Ilya Sorokin (lower body, IR) and Marcus Hogberg are working with Sergei Naumovs before #Isles skate.
Sorokin was out early with Naumov. Hogerg joined them a bit later on.
Sorokin was out early with Naumov. Hogerg joined them a bit later on.
Asked Roy about Rittich -- I know today wasn't his fault -- about what the message was to him after the game:
"I said to him, 'Just be ready for Toronto.' If he plays (against) Toronto, be ready for Toronto."
#Isles
"I said to him, 'Just be ready for Toronto.' If he plays (against) Toronto, be ready for Toronto."
#Isles
January 1, 2026 at 11:07 PM
Asked Roy about Rittich -- I know today wasn't his fault -- about what the message was to him after the game:
"I said to him, 'Just be ready for Toronto.' If he plays (against) Toronto, be ready for Toronto."
#Isles
"I said to him, 'Just be ready for Toronto.' If he plays (against) Toronto, be ready for Toronto."
#Isles
January 1, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Matthew Schaefer, PPG. He reaches the 10-goal mark in career game No. 41 and now has 26 points on the season with 10 goals and 16 assists. #Isles
January 1, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Matthew Schaefer, PPG. He reaches the 10-goal mark in career game No. 41 and now has 26 points on the season with 10 goals and 16 assists. #Isles
Schaefer draws his second power play of the game. #Isles down 5-1, going to PP with 9:19 to play in the third. Ian Cole for interference.
January 1, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Schaefer draws his second power play of the game. #Isles down 5-1, going to PP with 9:19 to play in the third. Ian Cole for interference.