Thank You Johnny

Over the last thirteen years, Johnny Boychuk has been patrolling the blunelines in the NHL. He may not have had the best shot, or the greatest passer or skater. He just knew how to play the game and play it the right way. He was one of the best, and most underrated, all around defenders in the league. The last six years of that have been done so in the blue and orange of the New York Isladners. Earlier this year, he got hurt after taking a skate to the face against the Montreal Canadians. Because of that injury, and the complications from it, Johnny Rocket has called it a career.

Johnny played 13 years in the NHL, the last six of them here in New York. Over 725 games, he scored 54 goals, added 152 assists for 206 points, between Colorado (4 games), Boston (317 games) and finally New York (404 games).  He has his name on the Stanley Cup from winning it with the Bruins in 2011. He was shipped to the Islanders in 2014, due to salary cap issues in Boston, for three draft picks. The Isles then signed him to a seven year extension after that first season.

Johnny, when he came to the Islanders along with Nick Leddy, brought a different vibe and influence to the Islanders blue line. They had winning attitudes as both guys had won Cups in the past. Boychuk was great at shutting down the opposition top forwards and helped get the Islanders back on track as one of the better defensive teams in the league. He could score a big goal on occasion, as well as get the play going with a good outlet pass. He helped change the Islanders culture and get it going in the right direction.

With Johnny's retirement, it also opens up a little more cap space for the Islanders to go out and re sign a guy like Matt Barzal and maybe go out and get a free agent off the market to help bolster their lineup.

Thanks for the memories over the last six seasons Johnny. Its been a hell of a ride.