Bo Horvat excited to hit the ice alongside NY Islanders newcomers

On Monday, the New York Islanders’ annual charity golf outing at Glenn Oakes marked the unofficial kickoff to the 2025-26 season, and forward Bo Horvat was eager to share his excitement about what’s ahead.

“There’s a lot of excitement, and we should be,” Horvat said. “With new management, getting the first overall pick, and the free agents that came in, fans should be excited. We’re excited in the room. We feel like we have a really good hockey team, and now we’ve just got to go prove it.”

One of the biggest storylines this summer was the selection of Matthew Schaefer at No. 1 overall. Horvat has already had the chance to skate with the young defenseman and came away impressed. “He’s really good. Very mature for his age, not afraid to talk in front of the guys, which is great. He’s got a lot of personality and his play speaks for itself. He moves well, he’s smart with the puck—you can definitely see why he went first overall. We’re excited to see him in camp.”

Horvat is also looking forward to playing alongside newcomers like Maxim Shabanov and Jonathan Drouin. “Shabanov’s got so much poise and skill with the puck. He can definitely raise our skill level. And with Drouin, I’ve known him from playing against him in juniors and at the World Juniors. He’s got incredible skill and he’s a great guy off the ice too. He’ll fit right in with our group.”

The Islanders are also shifting their approach in training camp, with head coach Patrick Roy planning to emphasize special teams from the start. Horvat fully supports the move. “It’s super important. Our special teams were mid-pack last year, and that can be the difference between making or missing the playoffs. Our five-on-five game is strong, but we’ve got to get better on the power play and penalty kill.”

With Mathieu Darche settling in as general manager and a refreshed mix of veterans, prospects, and new additions, Horvat sees big things ahead. “It’s exciting. Lou [Lamoriello] did amazing things here, but having another voice and perspective with Darche is great. We’ve got the pieces—we just need to take that next step.”