Kyle Palmieri is sounding a lot more like a player nearing a return than one still buried in rehab.
With New York Islanders training camp creeping closer, the veteran forward offered an upbeat update on his recovery from the season-ending ACL injury that cut short his 2025-26 season. Palmieri, who played in just 25 games before tearing his left ACL in November, said the summer has started to feel normal again seven months after surgery.
“Knowing that I’m close to getting back to what I love and getting into the rhythm of things is very exciting,” Palmieri said. “I’m excited to get back out there and compete with my teammates.”
He made those comments while serving as a special guest coach at a Try Street Hockey clinic put together with the Islanders and the Kyle Palmieri Foundation. The event was held for children of military service members ages 5 to 15.
Palmieri said the progress has been steady enough that he can finally picture the next step.
“This summer has been as close to normal as it can be seven months after ACL surgery,” he said. “There are some things I can't do or stay away from. But for the most part, I feel good on the ice, and I'm looking forward to getting back on the ice with my teammates.”
The 34-year-old Smithtown native is entering his seventh season with the Islanders and the second year of the two-year, $9.5 million deal he signed last offseason.
His time at the clinic also had a personal layer beyond hockey. The Kyle Palmieri Foundation supports programs for the military community, a cause connected to his family: his sister served in the Air National Guard, his brother in law serves in the U.S.
Army and his niece serves in the U.S. Navy.
“It’s been great getting back into the swing of things.”
For the Islanders, though, the main message was the one that matters most: Palmieri is getting closer, and training camp is getting closer too.
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