NY Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin Shuts Down Vezina Talk After Playoff Miss

For Ilya Sorokin, any talk of the Vezina Trophy ended the moment the New York Islanders were eliminated. "No chance," he answered when asked what it would mean for him to win the Vezina. Despite another standout individual season, Sorokin made it clear his focus was never on awards. “I never think about this. I think about make playoffs… and this target not work this year,” he said, dismissing any personal accolades in favor of team results.

Still, he acknowledged the broader picture. “I think [we] have a good season… maybe end little bit go down,” he said, pointing to a strong core that includes “good young guys and great veterans.”

The season’s grind was especially evident late, when Sorokin carried a heavy workload with little time to recover or practice. “It’s good experience… just games in my head,” he said. “You don’t have time to practice… just coming to rink to play hockey.”

While the pace was demanding, Sorokin refused to use it as an excuse. “Sometimes you need more rest… but it’s not excuse,” he said. “Team believe in me and I should work with this.” He even found a silver lining in the schedule, noting that back-to-backs became easier over time and could help him going forward.

Through it all, Sorokin remained focused on consistency and accountability. “For me, perfect is 30 shots… but you should have to play every game. It’s my job,” he said. He also took time to credit former coach Patrick Roy, calling him a “great coach” and emphasizing how much he learned throughout the season.

The Islanders are likely to lean on Sorokin in a similar way next season, and he'll have to learn from this experience to be ready and produce down the stretch and hopefully, into the playoffs.

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