Islanders Semyon Varlamov completes remarkable comeback with first game in 676 days

New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov made his return to NHL action on October 6, 2026, marking his first appearance in 676 days. The 38-year-old stopped 19 shots in a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Varlamov had not played since November 2024 following double partial knee replacement surgery, a procedure no professional athlete was previously believed to have returned from.

Despite allowing a goal to Oliver Bjorkstrand on the first shot he faced, Varlamov settled in with key saves on Will Cuylle and a deflected puck off teammate Tony DeAngelo. Head coach Pete DeBoer praised the veteran netminder's resilience, noting that Varlamov is expected to take on a significant workload this season to help reduce starting goalie Ilya Sorokin's schedule.