DENVER — Brock Nelson, like most people who have watched the Islanders for the past decade, keeps catching himself when he sees highlights of this year’s team. He notices No. 29, and it takes a moment to compute.
“I feel like I’m so programmed to see 29 and think of myself,” Colorado’s No. 11, né 29 with the Isles, said Sunday before facing the Islanders for the first time in an eventual 4-1 win for his new team. “It’s weird.”
Jonathan Drouin, the player wearing 29 in blue and orange this season, reached out to Nelson before choosing the number on Long Island and got his blessing to wear it. Like Nelson, Drouin was facing his old team Sunday, having spent the past two seasons with the Avalanche before signing with the Isles as a free agent last offseason.
“It’s strange,” Drouin said. “You know every guy. You know their tendencies. You know their personalities. Obviously, when the puck drops, you’re trying to win the game.”
The connections between the Islanders and Avalanche don’t end there. Cal Ritchie, part of the return in the trade that sent Nelson to Denver, made his NHL debut with the Avs last season, scoring his only goal against the Islanders and playing seven games before Colorado sent its then-top prospect back to juniors. Isles assistant coach Ray Bennett spent eight seasons here and was part of the 2022 Stanley Cup title team before being let go after last season’s playoff loss to the Stars.
And, of course, Patrick Roy’s No. 33 hangs in the Ball Center rafters.
“It’s obviously different,” Ritchie said. I’ve never been traded in my career in junior or anything like that. It’s a little weird, for sure, coming back here.”
Nelson ended up the happiest at the end of the night, scoring Colorado’s last goal on a tip from Brent Burns with 15 seconds to go.
Roy, though, got the loudest round of applause of the three Islanders who were returning, as the Avalanche gave him a full tribute video, followed by a standing ovation.
“It means a lot to me,” Roy said. “… It’s nice to see people react that way.”
Max Shabanov played his first game since Oct. 21, returning from an upper-body injury as part of the fourth line with Casey Cizikas and Cal Ritchie. Max Tsyplakov was taken out of the lineup to make room for Shabanov.
Scott Mayfield returned to the team after missing the past two games while his wife was in labor. Adam Boqvist was made a healthy scratch.
Mayfield reported his wife and son, Theodore, are doing well and home from the hospital.
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