Eventually, Cole Eiserman expects UBS Arena to be his NHL stage as an Islanders first-round pick in 2024. But playing at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night certainly gave the Boston University sophomore a peek into his expected future life.
He scored the third-period winner and set up a first-period power-play goal by Kamil Bednarik, an Islanders second-round pick in 2024, as Boston University topped Cornell, 2-1, before a packed crowd that included Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche and assistant GMs Ryan Bowness, Steve Pellegrini and Matt Martin.
“I make jokes for the guys all the time about the Herb Brooks stuff, ‘You’re born to be a hockey player,’ ” said Eiserman, selected 20th overall. “I take that to heart. I think I was put on this Earth to be a hockey player, be under these big lights, be in the big moments. It’s what I want to do. There’s nothing like a sold-out Madison Square Garden, being able to play hockey with your best buddies, being able to battle.
“It’s definitely something I take a lot of pride in, and I wake up every day knowing I’m very grateful to be a hockey player.”
The sharpshooter from Newburyport, Massachusetts, has seven goals and three assists in 11 games despite missing four games with a lower-body injury suffered on Oct. 25. Eiserman said the setback did not hinder his development but sapped some of his confidence. His performance on Saturday helped restore that.
Bednarik has three goals and four assists in 14 games. He has a more complete 200-foot game than Eiserman, whose defense is still a work in progress. Bednarik also plays on the penalty kill.
“I learned a lot from my freshman season, just how I can play,” said Bednarik, who is from Elk Grove Village, Illinois, and was drafted with the 61st pick. “I built a bit more confidence coming from my freshman year. Sometimes in my freshman year, I got a little too into my head. That hindered me a little bit.”
“He’s a really reliable player,” said Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo, who played 62 games for the Islanders in 2011-12 after 13 seasons and two Stanley Cups with the Devils. “I have a lot of trust in Kamil. Very good details. He does things the right way. He helps you win hockey games.”
Still, it’s Eiserman and his offensive potential — because of his shot, which can be heavy or whip-like-quick — that is so intriguing to the Islanders’ future.
Eiserman and Bednarik said they are in frequent communication with the Islanders’ development staff — members are at many of BU’s games — and Darche said he met with Eiserman and his representative when the Islanders played in Boston on Oct. 28. But both said there is not a timeline yet for signing their entry-level contracts.
“They’re so comfortable with Coach Pandolfo,” Eiserman said. “I think it’s just a whenever-they-think-the-time-is-right thing.”
Being injured did give Eiserman more time to watch how the Islanders are playing this season under coach Patrick Roy. He believes he’d fit in well with that up-tempo style.
“The biggest thing I’ve seen is giving guys chances,” Eiserman said. “A lot of young guys. [No. 1 overall pick Matthew] Schaefer is just different. But when you get [Laurel Hollow’s] Marshall Warren up there and Cal Ritchie and they’re playing them, it’s awesome for me as a young guy.”
Darche said Eiserman’s play will dictate his timeline, just as it did for Schaefer.
“When he comes in and plays pro games, it’s how he plays and how he reacts to those,” Darche said. “We can project how we feel they’re going to play pro. Until they actually play, you never know.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.