The Da Beauty league is back, and the Islanders have four NHL players and two of their AHL players competing this season. Brock Nelson is a team captain, giving him the opportunity to draft his team.
The Da Beauty league is back, and the Islanders have four NHL players and two of their AHL players competing this season. Brock Nelson is a team captain, giving him the opportunity to draft his team.
During the summer, NHL players try to stay fit for when the regular season returns.
Since its creation in 2015, Da Beauty League has provided many players—especially those from Minnesota—with the opportunity to train while having a blast.
The league runs through July into August and features games consisting of two 23-minute halves of 4-on-4. High scoring is common, as the playstyle leans more into pick-up territory. On August 28th, the two top teams will face off for the John Scott Cup—Scott immortalized himself in hockey history when he was controversially voted into the 2016 All-Star Game.
The New York Islanders have been well-represented in Da Beauty League for some time now.
Minnesota natives Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Hudson Fasching, and Mike Reilly have each participated for multiple years.
Former Islanders Nick Leddy, Aaron Ness, and Zach Parise also play in Da Beauty League, although Parise has informally retired.
The Islanders’ AHL team in Bridgeport has also been represented. Current Bridgeport captain Seth Helgeson and defenseman Dennis Cholowski are both regulars.
This year marks something new, however. Nelson was named the captain of Team Anderson this year, and with it came the opportunity to draft his own players.
The center scored 16 goals with 12 assists for 28 points in only eight Da Beauty games over the last two years, which is likely the reason behind his captaincy nod.
Nelson made no mistake, as he drafted 2022 all-star winger Jake Guentzel before picking up a familiar face in Reilly.
Other Islanders went elsewhere, though. Lee went to Team Tria under Nate Schmidt, while Vinni Lettieri led Team Walser by drafting Fasching and Helgeson. Cholowski will play for Team Element under Derek Forbort.
The first game begins Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. EST and can be streamed for free HERE.
The rosters above will not be the teams for opening night, as some players aren't always able to make the first game.