EAST MEADOW, NY — The New York Islanders have emergency recalled goaltender Tristan Lennox from AHL Bridgeport for Thursday night’s game against the New York Rangers.
The move comes after starting netminder Ilya Sorokin sustained a lower-body injury during the second period of Tuesday night’s loss in Nashville to the Predators. At the 13:25 mark of the frame, Predators forward Michael McCarron landed awkwardly on Sorokin after scoring. He did not return for the third period, where he was replaced by Marcus Hogberg.
Hogberg will assume starting duties for the time being, while Islanders head coach Patrick Roy could not confirm on Thursday how much time Sorokin will need.
Including Thursday night’s game against the Rangers, the Islanders have five games remaining in a 2024-25 season in which their playoff hopes are all but dead, meaning there should be no particular rush to get Sorokin back in the crease this year.
In 59 games this season, the 29-year-old went 29-23-6 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.77 goals-against average.
Lennox, 22, was activated off injured reserve back in February after recovering from a devastating knee injury while playing in the Worcester Railers of the ECHL during the 2023-24 season, which was initially believed to be career-threatening.
In the first 13 games of that season, the 2021 third-round pick posted a 2.94 GAA with a .909 save percentage. In four games with Bridgeport, Lennox has a 4.44 GAA with an .832 save percentage.
If Lennox gets in a game, he will be the fifth different goalie the Islanders have used this season. Sorokin’s usual backup, Semyon Varlamov, played just 10 games this season before suffering a season-ending lower-body injury.
