With New York Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov on the shelf, Ken Appleby has been serving as Ilya Sorokin’s backup for three of the last four games. We caught up with the journeyman.

LAS VEGAS --  With the New York Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov on the shelf, Ken Appleby has been serving as Ilya Sorokin’s backup for three of the last four games.

The 28-year-old backstop is back on an NHL roster for the first time since making his NHL debut with the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18.

Since his three-game NHL stint, owning a 1.5 GAA with a .945 SV%, the North Bay, Ontario native has bounced between the American Hockey League and the ECHL, representing five teams over that span.

Joining the Islanders organization as a free agent for the 2020-21 season, Appleby has played primary for the Worcester Railers, suiting up for 57 games, before getting his chance to be a Bridgeport Islander again last season for five games when Cory Schneider joined the NHL roster after Varlamov went down. 

This season, he started the season in Bridgeport, working alongside goalie prospect Jakub Skarek. In 11 games, Appleby owns a 2.88 GAA with an.897 SV%. 

Although Appleby has yet to start a game for New York with Varlamov down and likely won’t, being up with the NHL squad has been a surreal experience.

“I had a shorts stint before, back when I was with the Devils, and it's been a few years since I've been back up here,” Appleby said. “comparing it from that until now, you learn to appreciate it but also learn to know a little bit of what to expect.

“Any day you're up here, it's pretty special. It's something you worked for, for a very long time.”

The Hockey News asked Appleby what he’s learned about himself since getting to the NHL and more working himself back up here six years later.

“A lot. I guess you could say I’m a little bit of a slow learner or slow developer,” Appleby said. “You just take all the experiences that you get from every league. It teaches you something. There's always something to be learned, and you try to apply it to your game.

“I've always tried to keep that confidence in myself that I have what it takes, and you just try to remind yourself that. It tests you for sure. Especially going down to the ECL, you question yourself every now and again. But I think there's maybe a little bit that you can take out of that. it gives you a little bit more mental fortitude and reassuring yourself that you can do it.”

While the ECHL is still pro hockey, the NHL takes it to a whole new level.

“It’s nothing like this. you don't have all the training staff that they have here to take care of every little thing that you need,” Appleby said. “You're truly treated like nothing else when you're up here. So, you learn to really appreciate it coming from the ECHL or whatever. I mean, all throughout the organization, it’s very professional, even in the ECHL. I spent a good amount of time in Worcester, and I gotta give it to the owners and coaching staff there. they treat you like you're in the NHL.

“That’s their NHL, so you still come to the rink every day with the same mindset and learning to grow, trying to learn to grow or trying to develop regardless.”

Appleby has seen Bridgeport as a fun challenge and has viewed this NHL stint the same way.

“It's fun. when you're in a certain place like in Bridgeport for a while, you start to learn guys’ shot tendencies and then come up here, and guys can shoot a little bit harder, Appleby said. “they can place a little bit better. So you have to relearn everyone's shooting tendencies. And that's what makes it fun.

“And just to practice with some of these guys, man, they're, like, Barzal’s an all-star. There are countless all-stars on this team, and it's fun to challenge yourself every day.”

Watching and working with Ilya Sorokin has been a cool experience.

“He’s special. He's fun to watch,” Appleby said. “Ever since I got to the organization, you could see he's a very special talent, and anytime he's out there — I don't know if you're watching on the bench anytime. Even sometimes when the pucks on the other end — I'm still watching him, watch what he's doing. There’s so much you can learn from him, Varlamov, or anyone at this level.

“He’s one of the very best in the NHL. So, anytime any chance I get in with a try and take as much information from him as I can.”

You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season at twitch.tv/hockeynightny.

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