As the Islanders were preparing to hit the ice for warmups prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Penguins, rookie defenseman Isaiah George knew what was about to happen. As the clock was ticking towards his NHL debut, George would be the player to hit the ice first for the traditional “rookie skate."
The juices were flowing.
“In the tunnel, I was out there on the early side,” said the 20-year-old George. “I was just kind of waiting and waiting and I was getting antsy there. Once I got out there, I was just hoping to get a couple of shots on net…don’t do anything that would get me on the blooper reel.”
Aside from a third period turnover and getting bailed out by goalie Ilya Sorokin, George enjoyed a solid NHL debut as the Islanders rallied to beat the Penguins 4-3 in a shootout. George had 22 shifts in the game and had 15:41 of ice time. That includes being on the ice during critical times in the game late in the third and in overtime.
“Outstanding,” said Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy. “Except for that one turnover, he had a solid game. He skates and he’s moving well. The more he’s going to play, I think he’s going to feel more comfortable out there. Good for him. I was happy that he was here because he played a lot of minutes for his first game. I was very pleased with his performance and even playing overtime…good job, kid.”
George was taken by the Islanders in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. After an exceptional junior career with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, George made his professional debut this season with the Islanders’ American Hockey League team in Bridgeport. He played in four games with the B-Isles and scored his first professional goal.
George got the call from Bridgeport Monday night, went through the morning skate on Tuesday and then made his NHL debut Tuesday night. And it didn’t take long for him to earn trust and praise from the coaches and players.
“It was big to get that trust early on,” said George. “It gives me a confidence boost and gets me to keep on going and rolling and it was great. It was just hockey at the end of the day. I knew if I stayed focused and do what I do best, I could be successful out there.”
And his debut didn’t come against just any opponent.
To be on the ice against the Penguins, with stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, had some special meaning to George.
“It’s pretty cool,” said George. “I had their jerseys and their posters in my room. I’ve been watching them all my life so to play against them in my first game is pretty cool and pretty special.”
George has been to a couple of training camps with the Islanders and played in pre-season games, so he had already opened eyes before starting this season at Bridgeport. After his first game at the NHL level, he showed that he belonged, and the guys in the room agreed.
In fact, they seemed to be blown away.
“I thought he was great,” said Islanders Captain Anders Lee. “Just his progression and his poise with the puck. We all saw it and believe in him. I thought he had a great first night. It was an awesome accomplishment for him and many more games to come.”
Forward JG Pageau, who scored the game tying goal in the third period as the Islanders rallied from a 3-1 deficit, remembers not being nearly as poised and level-headed as George when he made his NHL debut in 2012.
“I remember I was not calm like he was in my first game,” said Pageau. “He seemed extremely calm with the puck. He skates very well. You can see all the potential that he has and why he’s here. He’s worked extremely hard and he was making the simple play. I thought he did an awesome job for his first game.”
Getting to the NHL is not an easy thing to do and George knows that he had plenty of help along the way. It takes a village to realize the dream of playing at the highest level, and George was happy to share the moment of his NHL debut with everyone who helped him.
Including his parents, who were at UBS Arena for his NHL debut.
“Just super excited thinking about my family and my coaches and all the people who helped me get here,” said George. “I’m really grateful for them and I was excited to see my family out there.”
And what made his NHL debut even more special was that the Islanders came back and won. Last season, George capped off his junior career by helping London win the OHL title. With lots of wins on his hockey resume, George began his NHL journey with the Islanders getting two big points.
“It makes it more memorable,” said George. “You come to the room with a smile on your face because you got that win.”
George had the opportunity to make his NHL debut, not just because he earned it, but also because the Islanders’ blueline has been decimated by injuries: Adam Pelech is out 4-to-6 weeks while Mike Reilly and Alex Romanov are day-to-day, all three with upper body injuries.
Sam Bolduc and Grant Hutton were the first two to get the call from Bridgeport, but Bolduc was sent down after Sunday’s loss to the Rangers.
George seemed to fit in very well.
“I felt comfortable,” said George. “The guys have been very welcoming and made me feel comfortable and ready to go so it just made it easy to play out there.”
The Islanders are off on Wednesday before heading to Ottawa for Thursday night’s game against the Senators. Depending on the status of Romanov and Reilly, it’s not yet known if George will suit up again.
But if that opportunity is there, the Islanders have all the confidence in the world in him.