Scott Mayfield has built a reputation the old-fashioned way in Long Island: he’ll answer the bell, he’ll stand up for teammates, and he’s never been shy about dropping the gloves. That part of his game has been consistent since his first appearance with the NY Islanders in the 2013-14 season.
Not everyone is dazzled by the actual results of those scraps, though. Former Islanders beat reporter Arthur Staple made it clear on the Tri-State Hockey Podcast that he respects Mayfield’s willingness more than his record in the ring.
“I say this with love. Scotty is always willing to fight, but he may be the worst fighter in the league who’s always willing to fight,” Arthur Staple said on the Tri-State Hockey Podcast.
“He just never seems to win one of these. He’s such a big dude, and he’s willing to throw down.”
Even with that blunt assessment, Staple emphasized how much Mayfield means inside the room.
“This is a really tight-knit group that loves each other, and he’s a big part of that,” Staple said. “He’s a big personality, and he’s always willing to drop the gloves.”
Mayfield has still been one of the Islanders’ go-to enforcers in an NHL landscape where fighting has become less common. He has 47 fights across his NHL career.
He’s also a familiar name in the lineup, with four more seasons left on his contract. Still, he’s currently in a position battle as Peter DeBoer experiments with Matthew Schaefer on the right side.
Staple, who spent years covering the Islanders for Newsday and The Athletic, has been around the organization for a long time. He now appears on the Tri-State Hockey Podcast with Michael Rupp and Johnny Lazarus, where the trio covers the Islanders, New York Rangers, and New Jersey Devils.
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Islanders Just Made Their Opening Night Battle A Lot More Real
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The bigger-picture takeaway is that the team is still sorting through the edges of the roster while holding onto some of its most intriguing young talent. Cole Eiserman, Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson remain in camp as the Islanders continue evaluating who can handle a spot once the regular season begins, leaving a few open questions in the final stretch before the games count. [Read more 🡒]