The sight — given everything that unfolded on Long Island the last 14 seasons — was jarring.
But there sat Anders Lee, now a former Islanders captain, donning a Mammoth jersey Friday at his introductory press conference in Utah.
His No. 27 jersey had been flipped to No. 72.
He spoke of the mountains and the new facility and the “whirlwind of a few weeks,” with his decision to sign with the Mammoth — on a three-year deal worth $5.4 million in average annual value — the most important touchpoint during that stretch.
“It’s a big change, there’s no doubt about it,” Lee said. “But the last few weeks, the last week-and-a-half here … every day I look at this jersey and the logo and start to like it even more and start to feel more comfortable with it.”
Lee’s decision to leave in free agency changed the complexion of the Islanders’ present.
For the last decade-plus, Lee had been their constant.
But Lee, who finished with 19 goals and 42 points last year, sought a term that differed from what general manager Mathieu Darche wanted, and one day before free agency began — even after the Islanders improved their offer, according to TSN at the time — Lee informed them that he planned to test the market.
“I’m actually happy for Anders that he got his term that he wanted and the money he wanted,” Darche said July 1.
That all created a scenario where Lee explained his game to reporters in Utah on Friday after getting asked what fans could expect, how the style of play that defined his era with the Islanders — creating “some havoc” for goaltenders, putting “something dirty in the net” — could also shape what’s next with the Mammoth. It all left the Islanders setting up a scenario with short-term contracts where more change could hit the roster once the summers of 2027 and 2028 arrive.
Vincent Trocheck, the former Rangers center traded to Utah the same day that Lee signed, sat to his right during the introductory press conference and described his new teammate as a “pain in the ass” to play against.
And with the Mammoth, Lee, who made an Eastern Conference final with the Islanders in 2020, joins an emerging roster while attempting to reach the ultimate stage of a season for the first time.
“These guys, their window’s coming up,” Lee said, “and it’s open. That was a big part of the fit for me, wanting to come to a team that has an opportunity to win.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
