Got here what I thought was too early and still found some traffic headed to the parking lots. Should be a fun atmosphere.
The biggest names may not be here, but we get a little Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey (and Casey Bailey) and Ryan Pulock and Josh Ho-Sang time, plus a couple of prominent younger types on the Rangers’ side.
There are Atlantic Hockey banners above the corner to the left of the home net, so it’s almost like Sacred Heart’s home rink. We’ve also got a new floor in the press box. (Table’s original, but take what you can get.)
No extras for warmup, like it’s an exhibition game or something. Wireless is fighting had, but we’ll try ‘n’ wrangle it.
ISLANDERS
F: Ladd (A) – J.Bailey (A) – Ho-Sang
Beauvillier-Nelson-Kulemin
Johnston-Schempp-C.Bailey
C.Jones-B.Holmstrom-Bernier (A)
D: Toews-Vande Sompel
Helgeson-Pulock
Lafranchise-Burroughs
G: Halak
Greiss
RANGERS
F: Vesey-Hayes (A)-Stromwall
Miller (A)-Chytil-Buchnevich
Tambellini-Desharnais-Puempel
Farnham-P.Carey-Lettieri
D: Graves-Pionk
Bereglazov-Kampfer
DeAngelo-Skjei (A)
G: Pavelec
Nell
R: Sutherland, Charron. L: Cormier, Murray
The little pregame note that the Islanders released all their unsigned draft picks from camp got tweaked quickly when Kieffer Bellows agreed to terms. He’s still headed back to the WHL. Maybe we’ll see him or Arnaud Durandeau or David Quenneville in six months or so.
A whole lot of early Sound Tigers history is in the house tonight (and a little midterm Sound Tigers history is on the ice in red, white and blue). May write a little on the weekend…