Prospect Chat: Long Islander, Marshall Warren
After wrapping his college career at Michigan last spring, the Bridgeport-bound Warren signed with the Islanders, and turned heads during camp this fall.
EAST MEADOW, NY — Marshall Warren’s time at New York Islanders training camp came to a close on Saturday when he, along with most prospects, headed back to Bridgeport.
It was a meaningful camp for the 23-year-old former Boston College and University of Michigan defenseman, who grew up in Laurel, Hollow on Long Island as a die-hard Islanders fan.
©Michigan Athletics
Warren skated mostly with fellow defense prospect Isaiah George, which could be Bridgeport’s newest duo in 2024-25.
Unlike George, who played against the New York Rangers in their 6-4 loss last Tuesday, Warren never got an opportunity to play in a preseason game.
He participated in warmups this past Thursday in Philadelphia but didn’t play in the 2-0 loss.
When I asked Islanders head coach Patrick Roy about bringing Warren but not playing him, he gave an incredible answer.
“If he was in that position, it's because he did something really good,” Roy said. “His role was to impress us and make a good impression. And I think that's exactly what he did.
“He had a really good camp. Every meeting we had, everybody had just positive things to say about him, so that was pretty good.”
Photo credit: Kathryn Howell/New York Islanders
Before being returned to Bridgeport, I had a chance to sit down with Warren and pick his brain about his first camp:
Q: Obviously, you were itching to get into a preseason game. But what could you take from just warming up in an NHL arena?
“I think it's just about taking learning as a learning experience. Being with a bunch of the guys, and seeing everything the way it is, I think you take everything in stride. You trust the process, and every day, you learn more. And, I think it's cool to be with all these guys, and you take everything in, from sitting on the plane with [Ryan] Pulock on Thursday night talking about D-zone structure or something. You learn a lot. I think it's really cool to just be a part of it and trust the process.”
Q: Is it surreal? Just even going out there for warmups?
“It was cool. I think I played in a bunch of cool arenas. In U-18 worlds, I played in TD Garden a bunch, and in Little Caesars Arena. So, you don't think about it honestly, you’re just doing your thing. You're just out there practicing and warming up. You don’t think about it much.”
Q: Early in camp, you told me you felt confident and comfortable, saying that skating with the NHLers in the summer helped you prepare. What have you learned about the NHL game over the last few months?
“I learned that it’s in the details. The guys are bigger, so you have to focus more on stick detail and growing every single day, focusing on getting better. You're learning from the coaches. The biggest thing is just taking everything in like a sponge and really focusing on taking in what all the coaches have to say.”
Q: Patrick Roy is a legend, and you had the opportunity to get coached by him for almost a month. Did you get to talk with him a lot and how was that experience?
“Actually, we've talked quite a bit. I think he's done a really good job of helping all the younger guys and is obviously really vocal. He commands the room. So it's cool to see how he coaches and his style. He was obviously a successful goalie, but he’s also been successful as a coach, too. So you definitely see how he commands the room and commands the ice. He's done a great job, and it's really cool to just get to know him and see the daily things that he has to offer.”
Q: Is it kind of crazy that, although he was a goalie, he knows so much about other positions and aspects of the game?
“You can tell he knows a lot about hockey. I think it's from being a goalie. He got to see the whole ice. He knows all about the details, whether it's the offensive zone or the defensive zone. So, he likes perfection, so you gotta strive to do that every day.”
On Sunday, I asked Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock about Warren and the young blueliners in the pipeline:
“I really didn't know much about the player at all until the summer. Watching him in camp, I thought he did a great job. Being a young guy coming in here, I thought he battled. I thought he had a good showing. Bridgeport has some good young defensemen down there. I'm sure they'll all push each other, which would be good to see. I think it maybe reminds me a bit of when me, Pelech and Mayfield were coming up. We were all pushing to make each other better.”
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