Schenn embraces Long Island, finding his hockey home. He details the quick trade decision and his eagerness to join the passionate Islanders fanbase.
For the first time since the New York Islanders acquired him ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, Brayden Schenn is on Long Island.
After playing in two games with the Islanders, the latter of the two back in front of the St. Louis crowd, the former Blues captain took part in his first East Meadow practice on Thursday.
After playing the first two games alongside Ondrej Palat and Calum Ritchie, Schenn will have Mathew Barzal on his right, with head coach Patrick Roy sending Ritchie to Bo Horvat's wing.
"I’ve played with skilled guys in St. Louis — the list goes on and on. Recently I played with Robert Thomas," Schenn said. "When you play with players like that who are so good with the puck, your job is to get open and find them.
"Hopefully me and Barzy get it going. I’m going to try to create space and room for him, get him the puck, and let him do his thing."
Does the trade feel more real now that he's on Long Island?
"Yeah, definitely," Schenn said following practice. "I stayed in St. Louis for four nights at my house while playing for the Islanders, so it was a strange situation.
"Now you land, you’re in New York, you’re at the practice rink, and now you’re home. It still takes a little bit of time to get comfortable, for sure, but day by day it’s getting better."
Schenn's excited to get in front of the Islanders' passionate fan base.
"Yeah, I said it when I got traded — it’s always hard playing on Long Island," Schenn said. "The team plays the right way, the fan base is always behind them, and it’s loud in there.
"I’m looking forward to being a home guy now and being part of that fan base."
Schenn, who had spent almost 10 full seasons in St. Louis, made it clear that waiving his modified no-trade clause to come to Long Island wasn't about the Islanders, per se.
It was about his family.
"When you’re asked to waive, it’s not really about the team you’re going to. It’s more about the life side of things," Schenn said. "I was in St. Louis for 10 years and have three kids. That’s the part that makes the decision hard. The hockey side is easy — locker rooms are welcoming, and most guys have been in that situation before."
General manager Mathieu Darche and head coach Patrick Roy asked Blues general manager Doug Armstrong if they could speak with Schenn to facilitate the trade, as both teams were staying in the same hotel in San Jose.
They were granted permission to meet with Schenn.
"The meeting was five minutes long, and I had about 15 minutes to make my decision before they pivoted somewhere else," Schenn said. "So it wasn’t like I had hours to sit on it."
One thing that came out of the Islanders behind-the-scenes video is that Schenn ran into No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer in the lobby.
We asked him about the 18-year-old, who was one of the reasons waiving to join the Islanders was an easy decision.
"It’s awesome. He’s an incredible guy — that’s the first thing you notice," Schenn said about Schaefer. He really cares about his teammates, the organization, and winning hockey games.
"People see the skill and everything he does on the ice, but what impressed me most is the kind of guy he is off the ice."
Moving is always tough, but even tougher when you have young kids. That's the situation Schenn finds himself in.
"Yeah, I’m looking [for homes] now," Schenn said. "I’ll go check some places out today and tomorrow before the game.
"I’ve got three kids — a four-year-old, a two-and-a-half-year-old, and an eight-week-old — so we’re trying to get things sorted. They’re in preschool, so that part you can kind of do anywhere, but the big thing is helping my wife with the newborn.
"After [next week's] road trip, we’ll try to get them out here. Things are moving fast right now."
Through two games with the Islanders, two overtime wins, Schenn has recorded an assist, with six shots, three hits, and a block, while also winning 13 of 24 draws (54.2%), averaging 17:16 minutes per game.