Islanders president of hockey operations and GM Lou Lamoriello told the press on Tuesday ahead of training camp that the entire team is 100 percent vaccinated for COVID-19.
Lamoriello went as far as to say that only one minor leaguer refused to get the vaccination and that he would be playing for a different team this season.
The Isles are clearly taking this situation seriously and everyone being on board only helps their situation entering the new campaign.
"We will not allow any player in our organization participate unless they are vaccinated," Lamoriello said.
It also helps that key players will be good to go right away as well, including Anders Lee. The captain tore his ACL and rehabbed all last season, even making an appearance on the ice before Stanley Cup playoff games to get some reps in his skates. Lamoriello said he's all clear to start camp right away -- a huge boost for the blue and orange.
Also, JG Pageau, who underwent hand surgery back in June, will be set for camp. And finally, Matt Martin had surgery to remove a bone chip in his ankle earlier this offseason, but has been on skates and should be good to go for the start of the season.
With all that said, the Isles are hoping to finally break through the Eastern Conference Finals and compete for the coveted Stanley Cup that has alluded them these past two seasons. They return basically the same team while also adding key veterans Zdeno Chara and Zach Parise to boost leadership even more in a tight-knit locker room already.
