The Islanders return to UBS Arena on Saturday night with a chance to reset quickly, and they’ll do it on a stage built to honor military service. New York hosts the New Jersey Devils on Military Appreciation Night, coming off a 5-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday and aiming to get back in the win column against another Metropolitan Division opponent.
The matchup brings a little extra weight for the Islanders, who have handled New Jersey well lately. Over the last ten meetings, New York is 8-1-1 and has won six straight against the Devils. That run gives the Islanders a real shot at closing the gap on a team that sits second in the Metropolitan Division at 11-5-0.
Military Appreciation Night will feature more than just hockey. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a special military-themed hat, while veterans and current service members will be recognized throughout the game. Outside UBS Arena, fans will also see military vehicles on display, along with special discounts and exclusive merchandise from the Isles Lab team store.
The organization’s support for the military stretches beyond Saturday night. Veterans in attendance are honored as the “Military Hero of the Game,” and the Ford Military Truck Tribute continues as a season-long program that ends with a veteran receiving a new food truck. The Islanders also hold Military Baby Showers, working with local companies to support newly expecting military families.
UBS Arena and the Islanders also run 50/50 raffles and ticket donations aimed at helping local families and nonprofit organizations. Along with Military Appreciation Night, the team will host other community-focused events during the season, including Hockey Fights Cancer Night and Islanders Children’s Foundation Night.
On the ice, New York is trying to stop a two-game skid before heading west for a three-game road trip that will take them to the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks. With a sold-out crowd expected against the Devils, the Islanders will be looking to clean up the mistakes from the Carolina loss and chase a seventh straight win over New Jersey.
In Other News...
Devils Fans Just Got A Reminder Of What The Hellebuyck Trade Cost
The reminder came in the form of Alexander Command, a 2026 draft pick the Devils sent to Winnipeg as part of the deal for Connor Hellebuyck. For New Jersey, the trade was always about landing a highly regarded goaltender, and that kind of move naturally comes with a price that can linger well beyond the day the deal is made.
Command has already spoken positively about his new team, and there is a sense that he could make the jump to North America soon. For Devils fans, though, his name is still tied to what it took to get Hellebuyck in the fold, a familiar reminder that even the biggest upgrades often come with future pieces headed the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Hughes Just Gave Devils Fans A New Rivalry To Watch
The Devils overtime win over the Islanders had the kind of edge that can linger beyond one night, and Luke Hughes was right in the middle of it. He logged significant minutes in a game that swung hard in New Jerseys favor after the team fell behind 4-2, then watched Jack Hughes finish the comeback with the winner in overtime. For a team trying to build momentum early, it was the sort of game that felt as much about attitude as it did about the final score.
Luke Hughes also found himself in a rare fight with Matthew Schaefer, a moment that seemed to give New Jersey a jolt when it needed one. The Devils responded with more energy after that exchange, turning a rough position into a win that should only sharpen the attention on the next meeting between these teams. For now, it gives Devils fans a little extra reason to keep an eye on the Islanders, because the tone of this matchup changed in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Moving On From Ondej Palt Still Looks More Important Than Ever
The Devils decision to move on from Ondej Palt has only aged more favorably as the roster around it has changed. New Jersey brought Palt in on a five-year deal in the 2022 offseason, then later sent him to the Islanders along with draft picks in a move that was as much about reshaping the books as it was about the player himself. In return, the Devils landed Maxim Tsyplakov, who eventually became part of another trade, underscoring how much roster churn has flowed from that original pivot.
From the Devils perspective, the bigger story is what the deal allowed them to do next. Palt has not made much of an impact on Long Island, while New Jersey used the move to open up cap space and create the kind of flexibility that can matter over multiple seasons. Even as the pieces from that transaction have continued to move elsewhere, the Devils willingness to cut bait looks more and more like a front-office decision that helped set up the rest of their roster-building plan. [Read more 🡒]