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New York Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
With first-round haul at 2025 draft, Islanders ‘replenished' prospect pool for future
The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL Draft. The New York Islanders have known better days. They haven't experienced many busier ones, though. From the hours before and then throughout Round 1 of the NHL Draft on Friday night, new general manager Mathieu Darche left no doubt he is remaking a franchise that hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1984 and last advanced beyond the second round in 2020-21. Advertisement That's the goal: to bring the Cup back to Long Island. And if it ever happens, Day 1 of Darche's first draft might be remembered for setting the foundation. As expected, the Islanders selected touted defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick. But it was a big trade made a few hours prior that set up what Darche hopes will be looked upon as a fruitful night. Then, the Islanders dealt defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Emil Heineman and the Nos. 16 and 17 picks in the draft. With those selections, the Islanders took winger Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitchenson — the eighth- and 11th-rated prospects, respectively, in The Athletic's final draft rankings. 'High-character individuals tend to overachieve, and we've got three high-character young players,' Darche said. 'That's the type of individuals I want on the team, so it was a great night for the Islanders.' Darche said he believes the Islanders 'replenished our prospect pool' in Friday's first round — a process that he felt was started with moves by former GM Lou Lamoriello at the trade deadline. Darche is willing to move the team's remaining Day 2 draft picks if the return nets NHL players who can help the team next season and beyond. He also plans to spend in free agency. Adding significant pieces on the open market is costly and risky, perhaps no more or less than daring to move on from Dobson. Darche said his intention until this week was to re-sign Dobson. When it became apparent that wouldn't happen, he pivoted to a trade. The price for Eklund and Aitchenson was steep. Dobson, who signed a max-term deal with an $9.5 million cap hit as part of a sign-and-trade to the Canadiens, has proven himself an explosive right-shot defenseman, especially on the power play. But that's at his best, and he wasn't last season. Still, at 25, Dobson is entering the traditional prime. Therein lay the logic for trading him. Advertisement Darche said he was willing to trade the picks acquired from Montreal to add NHL talent. He also confirmed looking to move back into Round 1, conceding that center James Hagens, a Long Island native, was 'high on our list.' The Islanders were not alone among clubs angling to move into the top 10, but the price was high enough to keep all those interested GMs at bay, and the Boston Bruins ended any fairytale dreams in New York when they picked Hagens seventh overall. 'He's a good player,' Darche said of Hagens. 'That's why (the Bruins) picked him.' Instead, the Islanders picked three players in Round 1 for only the second time. The other was 1999, when they made four opening-round selections. The @NYIslanders had a busy Round 1 of the #NHLDraft, selecting Matthew Schaefer (No. 1), Victor Eklund (No. 16) and Kashawn Aitcheson (No. 17).#NHLStats: — NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) June 28, 2025 The Islanders are trying to build a Cup contender, not merely a team that competes for a playoff spot. The hope is that these first-round picks, led by Schaefer, a projected franchise defenseman, form part of the foundation for a Cup contender over the long haul. 'It's only starting,' Schaefer said from Los Angeles. 'Train and work as hard as I can so when the end of the summer comes, when the season comes, I'm ready to go play at that NHL level.' Before he became the Islanders' sixth No. 1 pick in franchise history, Schaefer's draft-eligible season was marred by significant time missed because of a broken collarbone and mononucleosis. But those setbacks, he said, are 'small' compared to a trio of losses in 2003. That year his billet mom with the Erie Otters, Emily Matson, died of apparent suicide, a few months before his mother, Jennifer Schaefer, died following a lengthy battle with breast cancer. That December, Otter's owner Jim Waters died of a heart attack. Advertisement The jacket Schaefer wore on Friday night had images of his mother sewn into the lining. When he pulled on the Islanders sweater after greeting NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on stage, Schaefer was surprised to find his mother's initials sewn inside the collar. By the time he touched a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon he hadn't expected to see on the left shoulder of the jersey, Schaefer was doing all he could to fight back tears. He gave up that fight — something his late mother never did, Schaefer said. An emotional moment as Matthew Schaefer dons the Islanders sweater for the first time 👏 — ESPN (@espn) June 27, 2025 'To do that for me — it means a lot and it goes a long way,' he said. 'A lot of people can say, 'Ah, it's just a ribbon,' but it means a lot for me. My mom's a big part of my life, and this jersey I'm going to hang onto, for sure. 'The ribbon has a lot of meaning to it.' So, too, does banking on a blueliner to help lead a franchise rebuild. Darche, who came to the Islanders after many years in the Tampa Bay Lightning front office, is well-versed in the many ways an elite defenseman can positively impact a team. He wouldn't dare compare Schaefer to the Lightning's Victor Hedman, a likely future Hockey Hall of Famer who has won a Norris Trophy and a Conn Smythe Trophy and played a pivotal role on Tampa Bay's back-to-back Cup-winning teams earlier this decade. However, the plan is to provide Schaefer with every resource necessary — including time — to grow into a foundational piece on Long Island. 'I haven't met many 17-year-olds with that maturity,' Darche said. 'But we drafted him because he's a hell of a hockey player.' — Eric Stephens contributed reporting.
Associated Press
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
With Adam Sandler announcing his pick, Boston College's James Hagens happy to be drafted by Bruins
Growing up on Long Island, James Hagens wanted nothing more than to be selected by the team he grew up rooting for, the New York Islanders. Though that dream failed to materialize at the NHL draft on Friday night, the 18-year-old Boston College center was more than happy with the consolation. Hagens is not only staying in Boston, after being selected seventh overall by the Bruins, he enjoyed the extra bonus of having his name announced by Adam Sandler. 'Just being on a team that wants you the most, I love Boston. I love the area,' he said after becoming the first U.S.-born player taken in the draft. 'It's so special to have Adam Sandler make that pick. It's something I'll never forget for the rest of my life.' It just so happens that Hagens lists his favorite movie as 'Happy Gilmore,' which features Sandler as a former hockey player who turns his attention to golf. Wearing a Bruins jersey, Sandler announced the pick on a video screen on the draft stage inside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. As Hagens made his way up the aisle, Sandler could be seen celebrating on screen in the background. Sandler was one of numerous celebrities to introduce teams' selections with the NHL going to a decentralized draft format in which its 32 franchises made their picks from their own markets. That's different from the past, when all teams gathered inside the same facility to make their picks. At 5-foot-11, Hagens had 11 goals and 26 assist s to finish fourth in points among college freshmen last season. He scored five goals for America's gold medal-winning team at the world juniors championships. The Islanders had the first pick, and selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Finally, a trade The first 11 picks in the draft went by without any movement. Then, Commissioner Gary Bettman asked Kris Letang's son, Alex, to press the red button that brought 'Trade Alert' up on video screens. The Pittsburgh Penguins traded No. 12, which the New York Rangers transferred to them earlier in the week to complete the J.T. Miller deal with Vancouver, to the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers for Nos. 22 and 31. The Flyers took big center Jack Nesbitt. 'You were our guy all along,' general manager Daniel Briere told him. Celebrity pickers Bettman announced the first pick, then turned the responsibilities over to everyone from a WWE wrestler to a series of NHL alumni. Golfer Tony Finau did it for Utah, Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley for Philadelphia, members of the Goo Goo Dolls for Buffalo and Meredith Gaudreau, wife of late Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, for Columbus. ___ AP NHL:
New York Times
7 hours ago
- New York Times
Woman Was ‘Most Likely' Bitten by Shark at Jones Beach, Officials Say
A 20-year-old woman was most likely bitten by a shark on Wednesday at Jones Beach on Long Island in New York in what an official said was the first such attack of the season at a beach at a New York State park. The woman, who was not publicly identified, was waist deep in the water around 4:15 p.m. at the Central Mall beachfront of Jones Beach State Park when she reported being bitten by 'unknown marine wildlife,' the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said in a statement on Friday. The woman sustained minor cuts to her left foot and leg, the statement said. Lifeguards and emergency workers responded, and the woman was transported to a hospital. Her injuries were not life-threatening, according to the statement. She did not see what caused her injuries, but biologists from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation concluded that the bite 'most likely' involved a juvenile sand tiger shark. The bite was the first of the season at a New York State park beach and 'hopefully the last,' George Gorman, a regional director for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, wrote in an email on Friday. Swimming at Jones Beach was suspended for the rest of the day on Wednesday as the authorities used drones to search for dangerous marine life. Before reopening the beach on Thursday morning, park police and staff used drones to search for large schools of fish and other marine life. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Zohran Mamdani, the socialist New Yorker shaking up the Democrats
In the small hours of Wednesday morning, a 33-year-old man of South Asian descent walked out into a crowded bar in Long Island City to
CBS News
10 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Approximately 200 people displaced in Baldwin, N.Y. building fire
A large fire destroyed an apartment building in Nassau County Thursday, and now dozens of families on Long Island have no place to call home. The three-story apartment building on Merrick Road in Baldwin went up in flames Thursday afternoon. The Baldwin Fire Department says the fast-moving fire broke out on the top floor. CBS News New York Panicked tenants in all 48 units had to evacuate. Officials say close to 200 people lived in the building. Heavy smoke and flames could be seen shooting out of the roof. Video shows large parts of the roof collapsed, with large holes. The fire chief said more than 100 first responders worked together for two hours to get it under control. Three firefighters suffered minor heat-related injuries. "The fire was ahead of us, when we got here. They brought lines up, they opened up the roof," Baldwin Fire Chief Doug Everhart said. CBS News New York The Arson Bomb Squad and Nassau County Fire Marshals partnered up to investigate, according to the Nassau County Police Department. They determined the cause of the fire is not suspicious, and is related to an accidental electrical malfunction. Resident Derick Martin said the fire started in his unit. "There was smoke coming out of the switch in my apartment," Martin said. Martin said that after he and the super called 911, that small amount of smoke quickly became a massive fire. "There was nothing I could say, just watch the fire go at it," Martin said. CBS News New York Resident Angelina De Los Santos said she lost everything. "I had to put on clothes quickly, my little brother was still sleeping, and we just had to run out, and couldn't get anything," De Los Santos said. "Everything burned down. Our entire apartment is completely ruined." Friday, many residents were looking to collect important items left behind, but were still not allowed back. Fire officials say a crew is going to have to condemn the entire building due to that roof collapse. "Everything was burned. I have to go to the store yesterday, to buy to put something on, change the clothes," Martin said. "I can handle myself, but some of these people can't," resident Blair Abuor said. Building management has not yet responded to CBS News New York's request for a statement.
