Casey Cizikas, forward for the New York Islanders, has been spending his offseason focused on family and preparation for the upcoming NHL season. This summer, Cizikas participated in activities such as the Matt Martin Foundation Hockey Camp, where he spent time with his seven-year-old son Jack. He and his wife Kristy are dedicated to making memories with their three children.
“It feels like our kids are growing up so fast right now and we want to be able to spend as much time with them as possible,” Cizikas said. “Whether it’s just hanging out, going to the pool, playing in the backyard, doing whatever we can as a family. It’s been a really good summer.”
Cizikas balances family time with training sessions in the mornings to stay ready for the new season. He noted that many teammates have joined him on Long Island for offseason workouts, including new goaltender David Rittich.
“He’s been awesome,” Cizikas said of Rittich. “He always has a smile on his face and works extremely hard as well. He just welcomed his second kid, and he found a house on Long Island, which makes it a bit easier on his wife. He’s got a great personality and work ethic, which goes a long way.”
The Islanders have made several additions this offseason: goaltender David Rittich signed a one-year contract on July 1; forwards Jonathan Drouin, Maxim Shabanov, and Emil Heineman also joined the team. These moves are part of an effort to strengthen the roster after last season’s disappointing finish.
“We’re excited for all these guys to get here and give ourselves a chance at a little redemption,” Cizikas said. “This way it ended last year, none of us were happy. None of us were satisfied with what went down it. We have a team now that we believe will push each other and make it as difficult on other teams as possible.”
Cizikas expressed confidence in new Islanders General Manager and Executive Vice President Mathieu Darche’s leadership since joining the organization this summer.
“What he’s done this offseason, he’s put our team in a position to compete,” Cizikas said. “That’s the biggest thing he wants to see from each guy, which is to compete on the ice, throughout camp, throughout games. To bring that kind of energy.”
The Islanders won the NHL Draft Lottery in May and selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer first overall—an event that brought excitement among players.
“I called Barzy right away and I was like ‘let’s go baby, this is huge,’ because that can transform a team, that can transform an organization,” Cizikas said.
Cizikas learned about Schaefer’s skills through Sean Monahan—his brother-in-law—who trains with Schaefer during offseasons in Toronto.
“Whenever you get a player of that caliber, it sets up the franchise for a long time,” Cizikas said. “He’s going to come into camp and do everything that he can to prove himself and show everyone why the Islanders took him number one. He’s a special kid, works his butt off and has that drive in him.”
Entering his 15th NHL season with New York, Cizikas looks forward to leading by example at training camp.
“Training camps is always a fun time of the year, it’s a time to get your feet wet again, get get back into that mentality of the season coming up,” Cizikas said. “As a veteran, they want us to lead the force and then show these kids what it what it takes to play in the NHL, what it takes to be ready for camp, and just kind of lead the way in that sense.”
