New and returning defensemen/weather reports: Thursday notes

FOG

The Sound Tigers’ practice shootout accidentally wanders into a mystery. Not pictured: four kids with a dog in a van.

Two days in a row the filthy humidity outside yields fog in the barn. Hopefully it’s gone tomorrow. (If not, still seen that before.)

The organization’s defense corps got a little healthier with the return of Calvin de Haan from injured reserve, so the Islanders have sent top prospect Griffin Reinhart down this afternoon. There’s another defenseman who could rejoin the group: the captain. Brent Thompson said Aaron Ness has skated a little bit, “looks really good,” and is conceivable to play this weekend.

Brett Gallant has practiced all week after sitting Sunday banged up (upper body).

Next up, Albany, which has a lot of familiar names (26 out of 29 have played there before, 24 of them last year), and Springfield, which has some new ones, including Stratford’s Jaime Sifers and former Tigers Riley Wetmore and Mathieu Gagnon.

And RIP, Elizabeth Pena.

Michael Fornabaio