Rosner Wrap: Kieffer Bellows Claimed, Thomas Hickey Joins Broadcast & More

Good morning folk. The New York Islanders are back in action Friday night as they are in Carolina to face the Hurricanes. It’s a special day for New York Islanders forward Josh Bailey, who will be skating in his 1,000th game in the NHL.

On Thursday, the New York Islanders fans got some exciting news regarding the broadcasting team as former Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey will be joining MSG Networks as an analyst.

Hickey was a member of the New York Islanders from 2012-2022, spending his entire nine-year career on Long Island. Despite not being a stereotypical big-body defenseman, Hickey grinded as a 6’0, 185 lbs to earn minutes at the NHL level. He was a regular in the lineup for five of those nine years, unfortunately, seeing injuries derail his career a bit.

Last season, Hickey was loaned to the Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings AHL affiliate) after 29 games with the Bridgeport Islanders (AHL). He did get two games back up with the New York Islanders, due to COVID-19, a chance to essentially get a farewell.

This summer, the New Jersey Devils offered Hickey a Professional Tryout, but he was released from the PTO following training. camp.

Now, instead of preparing for games on the ice, he will be gearing up for broadcasts with Shannon Hogan, Brendan Burke, and Butch Goring. And he’s excited for this new chapter.

“It’s truly an honor to join MSG Networks as an Islanders studio analyst and begin this next chapter of my career,” said Hickey. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to now cover the team I was fortunate enough to play for, as well as connect with the fans in a new way.”

‘“We’re excited to add Thomas Hickey to our Islanders broadcast team,” said Jeff Filippi, MSG Networks Senior Vice President of Programming and Production and Executive Producer. “As a recently retired player, Thomas has suited up with many of the current Islanders and has competed against most players in the league, giving fans a real inside look into the current NHL.”

NYI Hockey Now: On Wednesday, the New York Islanders placed forward Kieffer Bellows on waivers. On Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers claimed the 24-year-old winger, as given their Long Term Injury Reserve situation, they had enough money and a roster spot to make this move work. How did we get here? New York Islanders.

NYI Hockey Now: Prior to Kieffer Bellows being claimed at 2 PM on Thursday, here’s a story about a potential trade that could have occurred had he past through waivers. It was a move that could have helped both the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders.

NYI Hockey Now: The New York Islanders may not have played a perfect game Wednesday night against the New York Rangers, but it was one of their strongest performances of the season as they shut out the New York Rangers 3-0 to snap a three-game skid. While the play of New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin was the story, another major storyline was Oliver Wahlstrom getting his first chance to play with Mathew Barzal this season. New York Islanders.

NYI Hockey Now: While the New York Rangers sat their Vezina-winning goaltender Igor Shesterkin, his fellow Russian, friend, and rival Ilya Sorokin put on a clinic in New York Islanders’ 3-0 win. Goaltending analysis New York Islanders.

Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins will be without center David Krejci when they take on the Blue Jackets in Columbus on the tail end of their second back-to-back this season. He left Boston’s Thursday game with an upper-body injury. Boston Bruins.

Philly Hockey Now: The injury-riddled Philadelphia Flyers claimed left winger Kieffer Bellows off waivers Thursday from the New York Islanders. He is a former first-round draft pick who underachieved with the Isles. The Flyers are hoping he finally blossoms. Philadelphia Flyers.

Florida Hockey Now: Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight made a bit of an adjustment to his skates during the offseason. Now, he has no laces to tie or replace. Don’t worry, he can still play. Here’s how. Florida Panthers.

Montreal Hockey Now: The Montreal Canadiens started their four-game road trip on the right foot, beating the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 at the KeyBank Centre. Despite getting outshot significantly at 5v5, Samuel Montembeault kept his team in the game long enough for Kaiden Guhle to score his first career goal, as well as a late game-winning goal by Josh Anderson. Montreal Canadiens.

Washington Hockey Now: The Washington Capitals’ Thursday tilt with the Dallas Stars has been a tight, physical matchup, and a Dmitry Orlov hit in the second period is raising some controversy. Washington Capitals.

Vegas Hockey Now: Expect the Vegas Golden Knights to make some tough roster decisions in the near future. With injured goaltender Laurent Brossoit coming back soon, the Golden Knights will have more than 23 players on their active roster, which is more than are allowed at the NHL level. Vegas Golden Knights.

Calgary Hockey Now: If the Calgary Flames have proven anything during the first couple of weeks of the NHL season, it’s that they’re a damn good team. They’ve shown it with the franchise’s hottest start to a season in modern franchise history. And that’s despite the fact they had a post-season that ended in bitter disappointment and an offseason littered with change. Calgary Flames.