Rookies Stepping up Big for Bridgeport
Apr 5, 2023In a season peppered with call-ups, injuries and trades, the Bridgeport Islanders rookies have grown up quickly.
William Dufour, Ruslan Iskhakov and Vincent Sevigny are among those making an impact in their first year in Bridgeport, contributing offensively while improving their respective skillsets in their first AHL seasons.
"They've done a great job along the way, learning and taking on more responsibilities as the year has gone on," Bridgeport captain Seth Helgeson said. "They've stepped into a bigger role, especially after we lost a few guys to the Islanders up top. They had to grow up fast."
The AHL leaderboards prove it. Namely, Iskhakov is third in points (49) among rookies this season and ranks third on his team overall in assists (32). The 22-year-old buried his first goal in his second game in Bridgeport and followed up with a six-game point streak with 11 points (4G, 7A) in October alone. He was named the American Hockey League's Rookie of the Month for October.
"He definitely started the season with a bang," Head Coach Brent Thompson said of Iskhakov. "He was getting a lot of goals, assists, creating offense. As the season wore on, there was a span where he had to learn his players around him better, more give-and-go's and a little more consistency in his game. And right now, he's playing hard, making better decisions with the puck and using his teammates better."
Iskhakov, who the Islanders selected in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft (43rd overall), racked up 21 points in each of his two seasons at the University of Connecticut before heading to play for TPS of Liiga in 2020-21. After a solid season with 38 points (10G, 28A) in Finland, Iskhakov headed to Germany to play for the Adler Manheim for the 2021-22 season before he returned to North America to play for the Islanders.
Naturally, playing in the states has a different feel, but Iskhakov's two seasons of college hockey helped him adapt in Bridgeport.
"The hockey is a bit different here," Iskhakov said of the AHL compared to the other leagues he played in. "You have to make plays quickly, think quicky, do everything quickly pretty much. You have to be dialed-in every shift. But I played in North America already, so I adjusted pretty quickly."
Iskhakov has a different background than Dufour and Sevigny, who each played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) prior to their arrival in Bridgeport. The two were teammates for the St. John Sea Dogs together last season where they won the Memorial Cup, but their connection goes even further back.
"I've known him since I was three years old," Dufour said of Sevigny. "We have pictures of training camp in the summer. It's just nice to build that connection and play with him. We just help each other every day. It's so nice to have him here."
Both Sea Dogs alums carried over their talent from juniors to make a splash offensively in Bridgeport, as well as contributing defensively. Sevigny set career-highs in a split season between St. John and the Victoriaville Tigers last season, with 64 points (18G, 46A) in 62 games. The 21-year-old defenseman has 16 points (4G, 12A) in 50 games played this season.
On the other hand, Dufour bolstered an exceptional offensive resume in juniors before he turned pro, winning the QMJHL MVP after a 56-goal, 116-point season, which shattered the Sea Dogs franchise record for points. The Islanders drafted Dufour in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft (152nd overall).
The 21-year-old winger translated his offensive talent to Bridgeport, ranking third on the team in goals (20), while also utilizing his first year to work on other aspects of his game.
"He has that goal scoring gift," Thompson said of Dufour's abilities. "He has that unbelievable shot. Now it's just a matter of cleaning up the rest of his game."
"I think last year in junior I had a pretty offensive role, but I wasn't playing good defense," Dufour said. "This year I really want to get better at defense, it was my main goal since the beginning of the year. With Coach Thompson, he's doing a really good job with me."
In his 10th season as Bridgeport's bench boss, Thompson is more than equipped to ramp up rookies to be effective on the pro-level. Thompson acknowledged the transition period that Dufour, Iskhakov and Sevigny naturally went through, but evaluated their progression over the course of the year.
"There's always that adjustment period," Thompson said of the rookie group. "Their play away from the puck has improved and they're learning the pro game: more give-and-go's, finding space, managing the puck better. And it's a process. It's going to take more time, but they're headed in the right direction."
Even with learning curves, Iskhakov's solid season earned him a spot on the roster for the 2023 All-Star Classic, where he represented Bridgeport.
"That was absolutely awesome," Iskhakov said of his experience in the 2023 All-Star Classic. "My first All-Star game in the pro league, the atmosphere was amazing in Laval. Met so many new guys, it was a lot of fun."
Leading up to his first All-Star outing, the 22-year-old was working on his shootout skills, in an attempt at a flashy performance in his first All-Star Classic. Instead, his standout moment came in the form of a penalty shot goal on Feb. 26, which garnered recognition on a national level.
"I was actually thinking even before the All-Star, I have to do something cool," Iskhakov recalled. "So, I was practicing shootout moves, but I tried at the All-Star and I didn't score. Then we had a game against Lehigh, and I had a penalty shot and I felt like why not try right now. I haven't scored like that before. It was big-time for me."
"His shootout goal was just amazing," Dufour said of his teammate. "His skills are on another level. He's a hell of a player, just keeps working. It's nice to play with him right now."
Dufour also had a standout moment this season, which came in the form of an NHL debut on Jan. 18 against the Boston Bruins. The 21-year-old forward remembers the support and encouragement from the players on the team - especially Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and J.G. Pageau - all guys who spent some time with him over the summer.
"The guys up there are really nice," Dufour said of the team. "They were really good for me when I played my first game. They told me to relax and play my type of game and just to enjoy it. All the guys were happy for me. Just happy to be in this organization and the guys up there help me a lot."
With support from teammates at the NHL and AHL level, the coaching staff and the organization, Bridgeport's rookies are on the right path for a bright future.
"It's been a lot of fun with those guys," Andy Andreoff said of Dufour, Iskhakov and Sevigny. "They're learning every game from the start of the year. You can see they're getting the hang of the speed and the timing and the positions, so they've definitely been good for our team. Now they're getting a lot of points, and that's from playing the right way."
"They're a great group of guys," Helgeson added. "There's been a lot of learning involved, can't speak enough about them."