The Islanders took some time off the ice on Thursday afternoon to get into the holiday spirit.
Mathew Barzal, Cal Clutterbuck, Jordan Eberle and Nick Leddy met with young patients and their families at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, handing out presents and memorabilia as part of the team’s annual December visit.
There was plenty of hockey talk, discussion of the team’s performance this season and playoff chances, but for the players the day was bigger than that, offering them a chance to put a smile on even the youngest fan’s face.
“We want to let them be kids for a couple of minutes,” Clutterbuck said.