After undergoing double partial knee replacement surgeries, Semyon Varlamov makes his first NHL start since 2024, marking a historic return to the crease.
The weight of the last few months seemed to vanish the moment Semyon Varlamov laced up his skates for the morning session. Tonight, he takes the net for his first NHL start since 2024, a return that defies medical precedent. Varlamov is believed to be the only player in the history of the League to successfully restart his career following double partial knee replacement surgeries.
His teammates have watched the grueling path from the sidelines. Jean-Gabriel Pageau remembers the look in the goaltender’s eyes during the long road back. “You ask everyone and they had the same feeling. he gave that vibe that. ‘I’m going to do it. I’ll be the first one in history to ever do it. ’” Pageau said. “It’s a hard feeling to explain. but to see the commitment and the determination that he had in his eyes. it was fun to watch.”.
The Islanders’ trust in Varlamov was earned through a steady climb back. Last April. he tested his conditioning with two games for Bridgeport in the American Hockey League. winning both while allowing just three goals and posting a .939 save percentage. By the time training camp arrived, he proved his readiness, including a preseason relief appearance against the Rangers on Sept. 22 where he stopped 10 shots after taking over for Ilya Sorokin.
Coach Peter DeBoer faces a delicate balancing act. Sorokin started the team’s first two games of the season—including a 37-save shutout in a 6-0 win against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday—and holding a 1-1-0 record. “I don’t want to overplay Sorokin so I want to get him in there. and I also don’t want to have him sit for two or three weeks with what he’s gone through and be really cold going in there. ” DeBoer said. “There is no perfect spot, but I’m very confident in where he’s at.”.
DeBoer envisions a high-level tandem, hoping to rely on both goalies regardless of the venue or the stakes. “If Varly plays the way I feel he’s going to play as the season goes on, I think we’re going to be comfortable playing both guys,” the coach noted.
Varlamov’s return occurs at Madison Square Garden, a building where he has historically thrived. Over 14 career games there, he holds a 10-3-1 record with a 2.29 goals-against average, a .928 save percentage, and four shutouts. Specifically with the Islanders. he is 5-1-0 with a 1.55 GAA in six games at the Garden. with all four of his shutouts in the arena coming as a member of the team.
Since joining the league in 2008. Varlamov has recorded a 289-232-71 record with a 2.65 GAA. .916 save percentage. and 41 shutouts across 621 regular-season games with the Washington Capitals. Colorado Avalanche. and the Islanders. His postseason resume includes 65 games with a 32-30 record and back-to-back runs to the third round in 2020 and 2021.
For his teammates, the numbers matter less than the journey. “For him to go through what he went through and come back from having both knees done. yeah. it’s a phenomenal story. ” captain Bo Horvat said. Forward Kyle Palmieri added that every step of the process served as a necessary building block. “When you look at it over the whole course of how many days it was. I think everything he did was a steppingstone to get back to where we are today. ” Palmieri said. “To be putting on the pads. to be back on this team and getting back in net—I think it’s pretty incredible.”.
Semyon Varlamov Islanders NHL injury return goalie hockey MSG