Twenty-two months to play 10 minutes
Semyon Varlamov laced them up in a preseason game against the Rangers. It was his first NHL action since November 29, 2024, when a knee injury eventually led to two partial replacements. After 22 months of rehab, the 38-year-old goalie came in for Ilya Sorokin halfway through the second period at Madison Square Garden.
10 shots, 10 saves. That is the whole line on the stat sheet, but it says enough about two years away from the rink.
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A defence that sheltered his comeback
Varlamov was quick to talk up the group effort rather than his own night. He pointed out that the Islanders did not give up any dangerous power-play looks while he was in the game, something he felt was key to settling back in without being thrown straight into the fire.
New York won 4-3 after a comeback. Matias Maccelli had two goals and an assist, including the winner on the power play in the third period. A preseason game with nothing at stake in the standings, maybe, but plenty at stake for a veteran who had spent a long time wondering if he’d ever play again, and for a team that had to grind right to the end to avoid spoiling a special moment.
A medical file that stands out
Two partial knee replacements are almost unheard of in an active professional athlete, even more so for a hockey goalie, where lateral movement puts constant stress on the joint. Varlamov’s return, even if it was only for half a preseason game, means more to the Islanders than a line in the box score. Sorokin remains the starter, but the organisation has another option for a long season in a conference where depth in goal can matter a lot come spring.
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