Kyle Palmieri spent Wednesday evening on the Northwell Health Ice Center Outdoor Rink doing a different kind of work than the Islanders usually ask of him.
The veteran center hosted a Try Street Hockey clinic in East Meadow, teaming up with the Islanders and his Kyle Palmieri Foundation to give nearly 50 children from military families a chance to play. The event was limited to kids ages 5-15, and many of them had already tried hockey before. Palmieri helped make sure they got another turn at it.
The foundation tied to the 16-year NHL veteran is built around a cause that hits close to home. Palmieri’s 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.
That connection shaped why he wanted to be involved.
“The military has always been a very important cause for me; the ability to kind of use my platform and be part of the military community is something that's always been important,” Palmieri said.
Morgan Price, who works for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, said children from the program were invited to the clinic. TAPS supports military families who have lost a loved one in service.
“Kyle has worked with TAPS [with] numerous teams that he's played with, not just the Islanders, so it's so amazing that he's willing to give back to the military community,” she said.
Palmieri wasn’t the only one on the rink helping out. Other coaches ran the kids through drills and gave them an introduction to the game, while Islanders mascots Sparky and Nyisles were also there.
The setup clearly worked for the kids, who were darting around with smiles and trying to pile up goals. Palmieri said street hockey was a smart way to bring them into the sport because it removes the hassle of skates and full equipment while still teaching the basics.
Gary Dowling brought along his 7- and 8-year-old nieces, since his own children, ages 1 and 2, were too young to take part. For him, the night was as much about the experience around the rink as the hockey itself.
The 41-year-old North Babylon resident said he appreciated Palmieri making time for the event.
“He could be out training, getting ready for the season,” Dowling said. “He's out here hanging out with the fans and stuff like that. Really, really cool.”
Palmieri, who was born in Smithtown, is set to begin his seventh season with the Islanders in September. He is entering the second year of the two-year, $9.5 million deal he signed last offseason.
His focus, though, was on the ice in East Meadow, not the contract or the calendar. Palmieri played only 25 games in the 2025-26 season after tearing his left ACL in November, but with training camp approaching, he said he feels encouraged about where things stand.
“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.”
For one night, though, the priority was simple: skate-free hockey, a packed rink of smiling kids and a player using his offseason time to give back.
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