Vladimir Dravecky walked into his first New York Islanders rookie camp with a lot of unfamiliar faces around him. The person running the show, though, was anything but new.
That matters for a young defenseman taking his first steps inside an NHL organization. Dravecky, the Islanders’ fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is back with former OHL coach Jay McKee, who is set to start his first season behind the bench of the Hamilton Hammers this fall.
For Dravecky, that reunion gives this first camp a built-in comfort level.
"Jay is such a great guy and unreal coach," Dravecky said. "When I saw that he's going to be a coach for the Hammers, it was pretty funny that he coached me last year."
McKee is not the only familiar connection. Dravecky said assistant coach Vince Laise is also headed to Hamilton, along with video coach Owen Bernal, so he is beginning his Islanders journey with several people he already knows well.
"That's great being back together," he said.
The relationship with McKee is the obvious centerpiece. Dravecky played for him last season, and now that connection carries over into the pro ranks. Dravecky also pointed to McKee’s NHL background as a major asset.
"Jay has around 800 games in NHL," Dravecky said. "So, it's huge when you have a coach like that on your side and just he can help you all the time."
For now, the Islanders will use rookie camp to get a better read on what they have in Dravecky. He is not trying to turn the first few days into something bigger than they are.
"I just want to have fun," Dravecky said. "I'm so super excited to be here around those great players and human beings."
So while it is his first rookie camp, it does not come with the usual sense of being completely on his own. With McKee and other familiar faces around him, Dravecky already has a small support system in place. And before long, those same connections could have him right back together with them in Hamilton.
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