Marc Gatcomb didn’t take long to make his presence felt with the Vegas Golden Knights.
After leaving the New York Islanders over the summer, the 27-year-old forward scored his first goal with his new club Sunday night in Vancouver, doing it in the kind of rugged, opportunistic fashion that Islanders fans know well. Gatcomb had already picked up one assist in his Vegas debut on opening night while showing the same strong two-way game that helped him stick in the lineup.
The goal was a fitting follow-up for a player whose career has been built on persistence. Gatcomb signed a two-year, $1.75 million deal with Vegas this past summer after spending the previous two seasons with the Islanders, where he appeared in 88 games and totaled 11 goals and 16 assists. He carved out a role whenever New York needed energy in its bottom six, with much of his best work coming on the fourth line.
His path to the NHL has been a long one. Gatcomb went undrafted, played four years of college hockey, then spent parts of four AHL seasons before the Islanders called him up in his fourth professional year.
New York’s roster decisions this summer, aimed at preserving flexibility for younger players like Victor Eklund, opened the door for Gatcomb’s departure. The Islanders had an extra forward in the mix, and Gatcomb became the odd man out. For Vegas, though, he fit neatly into a roster that needed value and depth, and he played his way onto the opening night team.
Sunday’s goal came against the first organization to give him a pro contract, the Abbotsford Canucks. And the finish itself matched his game: he found the soft area in the defense and cashed in on a rebound-style chance, the sort of hard-nosed goal that defined his time on Long Island.
The formula is simple for Gatcomb. Keep playing his game, and the results should follow.
In Other News...
Islanders Just Gave Fans A New Locker Room Tradition To Watch
The Islanders have added a fresh wrinkle to their postgame routine for the 2026-27 season, swapping out last years Iron Man mask for two new team awards meant to spotlight both impact and effort. One is a custom canoe paddle for the player of the game, while the other is an orange hard hat with ear muffs for the hardest worker, a nod to the kind of locker room traditions that can help a team build chemistry over the long haul.
The new setup already had a debut worth remembering after New Yorks 6-0 home-opening win over the New Jersey Devils. Ilya Sorokin took home the paddle after his shutout, while Casey Cizikas earned the hard hat for a night that included a goal and assist, giving the Islanders an early look at how the new honors will play out inside a room that seems intent on making every win feel a little more connected. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders May Have Found The Spark Their New Second Line Needed
After opening the season with a loss in Toronto, the Islanders got a much cleaner look at what their lineup can be at home, rolling past the Devils 6-0 in their home opener. The most notable tweak from Peter DeBoer was the formation of a new second line with Victor Eklund, Cal Ritchie and Brayden Schenn, a combination that brought more pace and cohesion than the club had shown in its opener.
The early returns were encouraging beyond the scoreline, with Eklund settling in quickly and the group looking dangerous in its time together. For an Islanders team still sorting out its forward mix, the idea that this trio may have found some chemistry gives DeBoer another option to lean on as the schedule starts to tighten and the need for reliable depth scoring grows. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Fans Have Early Reason To Watch The Rangers Closely
The Rangers have opened the season 3-1, and for Islanders fans keeping one eye across town, there is already enough there to take note of. Their 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth showed a group leaning early on its defensive structure and developing chemistry, and coach Mike Sullivan has been quick to point to those traits as the foundation for a long season rather than just a hot start.
Vladislav Gavrikov and Sean Durzi both echoed that tone after the win, underscoring how connected the team has looked in the early going. Igor Shesterkin even chipped in with an assist, another reminder that the Rangers are getting contributions all over the ice while trying to build momentum they hope can last well beyond October. [Read more 🡒]