EAST MEADOW, NY — On Nov. 28, 2025, New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri tore his right ACL, ending his season.
The veteran worked hard throughout his rehab to give himself a chance to return had the Islanders qualified for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. While that didn’t come to fruition, Palmieri had the entire summer to continue training and prepare for the upcoming season.
The Elmonters caught up with Palmieri following Day 1 of training camp to see how he was feeling, what the rehab process was like, and more for this Free Friday exclusive.
But first, let’s get you caught up on the latest stories:
Alright, let’s get to Palms, shall we?
Stefen Rosner: I know you’ve been skating a lot this summer, but the first day is now in the books. How do you feel?
Kyle Palmieri: “Good. Yeah, I mean, I did my best without being too much of an asshole about it to kind of ramp up during the summer skates. I mean, it’s been a while since full speed was part of it for me, so I wanted to do my best just to be prepared and not just try to turn it on for Day 1 of camp.
“So everything felt good. It’s really about, for me, staying on top of things and making sure I’m putting myself in the best position to feel good tomorrow — how my knee reacts to contact and battles and longer sessions and doing it a couple days in a row. It’s up to me as an athlete to make sure I’m on top of it and doing everything I can to make sure I’m ready.”
Stefen Rosner: How hard is it to be honest with yourself in the sense that you want to be out there, but if something’s bothering you to look more long-term here?
Kyle Palmieri: “Well, I think for me, that was probably more prevalent towards the end of last season when I was trying to put myself in a position to be available. But right now, I mean, I’m nine months out, nine and a half, whatever it is, and for me, I’m cleared to go.
“I don’t really need to take my foot off the gas. I’m trying to put myself in the best position to be ready for the regular season, and that starts with Day 1 today, and just building and continuing to get more comfortable and confident out there.”
Stefen Rosner: With the recovery process, did you pick Anders Lee’s brain at all?
Kyle Palmieri: “Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean, I was talking to him the night I got hurt. We were close friends off the ice, no matter what. But he was a huge resource for me. Different things that worked. He was an incredible teammate, a really close friend of mine, and he was there even when I wasn’t asking him.
“He sent over a care package after surgery. He helped me out with just getting the ball rolling those first couple of days after surgery when you’re immobile and things like that. And yeah, he was always a resource for me.
“Obviously, I had a team of trainers here, some specialists that helped me out. But for the most part, it was the day-to-day with Anders and asking him different questions. Because at the end of the day, no offense to my trainers and the very, very qualified people that were helping me, a lot of them didn’t return and play in the NHL. He was invaluable as far as the resource goes to helping me through this process.”
Stefen Rosner: Did you pick up any new hobbies or anything while you weren’t able to play?
Kyle Palmieri: “Not a ton. Honestly, the rehab was time-consuming. I swam a lot. Like the first 12 weeks of the rehab, I was in the pool five, six days a week, right across the street.
“So it was more time swimming. I learned how to swim properly and do a couple of things in the water that may have made me look like a 90-year-old in an Aqua Jazzercise class.
“But no, I think the rehab consumed a lot of my time, and I had two young kids and a family that they didn’t really understand the process of knee rehab, so I was trying to be the best dad I could be too.”
