Ryan Pulock is heading into the 2026-27 season with a lot more on his plate than hockey.
The 31-year-old Islanders defenseman, who has already played 636 NHL games, spent the past 11 months learning a new role at home after he and his wife, Danielle, welcomed their first child on September 1, 2025. This was Pulock’s first summer as a father, and he said he has made the most of the time with his son, Ryder.
“It’s been a lot of fun learning and having the summer with him,” Pulock said. “Family is very important to me, and we’re making the most of this time.”
That family-heavy offseason has played out on Long Island, where Pulock has settled in and also worked through recovery from shoulder surgery. He said the rehab has him feeling ready for camp.
“I’m feeling really good and strong right now,” Pulock said of his shoulder. “It’s something you never really want to go through, but I’m glad things are on track.”
On the ice, Pulock is still doing the same heavy lifting that has made him such a fixture on the Islanders’ blue line. Last season he posted 27 points, with three goals and 24 assists, in 76 games while leading the team with 148 blocked shots. Since the NHL started tracking the stat in 2005-06, he has 1,201 blocked shots, the most on the Islanders.
When the conversation turned to personal goals for 2026-27, Pulock didn’t bite. His focus stayed on the bigger picture.
“It’s always about doing everything possible for the team in whatever that role may look like,” Pulock said.
Pulock also sees value in the Islanders’ summer routine. He said the group of players who remain local and skate together gives the team a built-in edge before camp even opens.
“I think it’s a big benefit of what we have here,” Pulock said. “There’s a good amount of guys who stick around here and make Long Island their homes. I don’t think the way we’re looked after by staff and hang out is done everywhere.”
That local offseason presence has meant more than workouts. It has also given Pulock and other Islanders a say in the club’s future look.
He was part of the group that reviewed submissions for the team’s third jersey, and the Pulock family made sure to weigh in on social media as the decision narrowed. In the end, he was pleased with the choice.
“I was pretty split. I liked both,” Pulock said. “I think as they decorate it and pick out the gloves, helmets and pants, it’s going to be a sharp look, and the design has a lot of history on Long Island with the lighthouse.”
There’s also familiarity on the blue line. Pulock spent much of last season alongside Matthew Schaefer, forming a pairing the Islanders leaned on in important moments. With Schaefer entering his second season, Pulock thinks the young defenseman can keep pushing forward.
“He’s a special kid and is just so outgoing,” Pulock said. “You see how special he is on the ice, but he might be even more special off it.”
After a year filled with change, Pulock is ready to return to the rink and keep doing what he has done for the only franchise he’s ever known: show up, handle his business and help the team in whatever way is needed.
“You always want to score more, put up more points or defend better, but it’s always about the team,” Pulock said. “At the end of the day, it’s about doing the little things for the team - that’s what really matters.”
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For an Islanders team trying to keep pace in a crowded Metropolitan Division, the addition matters because it raises the standard from day one. DeBoers history of getting teams to the Stanley Cup Final and Conference Finals gives New York a level of credibility the rest of the division has to account for, especially with so many rivals also reshaping behind the bench. The bigger question now is how quickly that reputation turns into results once the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]