New York Islanders
Semyon Varlamov made his first NHL appearance since Nov. 29, 2024, when the Islanders defeated the New York Rangers 4-3 on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old goalie, who is coming off partial knee replacements, stopped all 10 shots he faced in the come-from-behind win after replacing Ilya Sorokin in the second period.
“It was a preseason game, but it’s exciting to win, even a preseason game,” Varlamov said. “It’s nice to be out there with the teammates, battle, and yeah, I had fun today. Overall, it was a good game. I just tried to get used to the game speed, feel good and work on a few things.”
Varlamov played two games for Bridgeport of the American Hockey League at the end of last season.
“It’s been quite a journey for him,” Islanders coach Peter DeBoer said. “He got in those American league games at the end of last year, so it’s not like it’s his first game action, but first game action at the NHL level after a long rehab. I’m really excited for him.”