Bo Horvat has been an unofficial part of the Islanders’ leadership group since arriving in New York, so sewing a letter on his sweater only made sense now that there was an opportunity to do so.
Horvat, formerly captain of the Canucks, will indeed wear an “A” when the Islanders open the season Thursday night against the Utah Hockey Club, replacing Cal Clutterbuck as alternate captain alongside Brock Nelson.
“I think it’s always an honor to not only wear the jersey, but to have a letter on it, it’s pretty special,” Horvat told The Post after Tuesday’s practice. “I don’t take this lightly and I want to represent myself and the team. Just play the right way every night. I think being captain in the past really helps.
Horvat was an alternate captain for the Canucks starting in March 2017, earning the “C” at the start of the 2019-20 season.
That made him an obvious candidate to get a letter with the Islanders this season, although others like Casey Cizikas or Noah Dobson would have been worth it as well.
After Nelson received a letter at the start of last season – replacing Josh Bailey as alternate captain – two-thirds of the team’s official leadership has now been replaced over the past two seasons, with Anders Lee remaining constant in as captain.
“We have so many good leaders at this club. Talk to Lou [Lamoriello] and we felt like he was ready – he was the captain in Vancouver – he was ready to go up there,” coach Patrick Roy said. “Have we had any meetings about this? No, it happened naturally. But are there many guys who could have been an assistant? Yes. We have tons of great leaders on our team.
For Horvat, it is much more a great recognition than a change in the functions he already exercises.
He has no plans to change the way he operates in the locker room or within the management group.
“I think just because you have a letter and it’s given to you doesn’t mean there’s a reason for it,” Horvat said. “And it’s not because, obviously, I suddenly have to change because there’s a letter on my sweater. There are so many guys here who could wear it.
Ilya Sorokin has continued to practice with the team, but the Islanders have yet to commit to a plan regarding his use on opening night.
“I will probably speak with [trainer] Damien [Hess] by the end of the day and see how [Sorokin] was and how he feels,” Roy said. “And tomorrow we’ll probably be in a better position and decide what we want to do.”
