Casey Cizikas enters Year 15 as Islanders’ heartbeat, still calling Long Island home

Casey Cizikas first got a taste of Long Island back in 2009, when the Islanders selected him in the fourth round of the NHL Draft. After two more years of junior hockey, he debuted with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2011-12 and made his Islanders debut against the Rangers on Feb. 24, 2012 — just three days before his 21st birthday.

Now, 14 years later, Cizikas is still an Islander. And he’s a Long Islander, too.

“We’ve only lived full-time on Long Island for about five years now,” said the 34-year-old Toronto native. “But from day one when I first got drafted to when I played my first NHL game, the people here have been unbelievably welcoming and made this place feel like home. It’s a place that we love that we can call home.”

As he heads into his 13th full season with the Islanders — and 15th year in the organization — Cizikas and his family have put down roots on Long Island while he continues to bleed orange and blue on the ice.

From young player to team leader

Cizikas has given his heart and soul to the Islanders, growing from a rookie learning from Mark Streit, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen into a fixture on the legendary “Identity Line” with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck.

Now, as the longest-tenured Islander, he’s embracing his role as a leader for the team’s younger players.

“There’s a lot to learn in this game,” said Cizikas, who has played in 897 career regular-season games, all with the Islanders. “It doesn’t come easy. It’s my turn to kind of pass down that knowledge and show these guys what it takes to be a pro.”

One of those younger teammates is 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the Islanders’ first overall pick this summer. Schaefer has been paired with Scott Mayfield during camp and the preseason, but he says he’s already learned a lot from Cizikas.

“He’s been awesome,” Schaefer said. “He’s such a character and a good guy in the locker room. He’s opened his house up to me. He’s such a great guy.”

Schaefer said Cizikas has helped him keep things in perspective.

“Sometimes you can be hard on yourself and you can have high expectations,” Schaefer said. “But he comes up to you and says ‘just enjoy it Schaef.’ Just enjoy the ride — it goes by so quick. To take advice like that from him is awesome.”

Isles look to return to the playoffs

Last season was a disappointing one for Cizikas and the Islanders.

After back-to-back first-round exits against Carolina, the Isles failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2024-25. This year, they’re focused on a stronger start.

“We put ourselves behind the eight ball pretty early last season,” Cizikas said. “We have a chip on our shoulders. We know how good we are. We know what we can achieve as a group. We know we have a lot to prove and we’re excited for the challenge ahead of us. We want to go out there and prove to ourselves that last year…that wasn’t us.”

Cizikas, who has 114 goals and 148 assists for 262 career points, has seen the Islanders at their lowest and at their highest — from missing the playoffs entirely to back-to-back trips to the NHL’s final four in 2020 and 2021. Through it all, he’s played with the grit and energy that has made him a fan favorite.

Casey the warrior

Look around UBS Arena during a game and you’ll spot plenty of “Cizikas 53” jerseys. He’s earned that love by giving everything he has on the ice and making Long Island part of his life off of it.

“The person,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said when asked what makes Cizikas special. “He goes every night. You know exactly what you’re going to get from him. He’s a warrior out there and he plays hard. He brings energy. He reads the game very well and understands the game very well. It’s always nice to see a guy like him having such a beautiful run with this organization and continues to be a good leader.”

It wouldn’t be a surprise if one day Cizikas joins Martin and Clutterbuck in the Islanders Hall of Fame as part of the beloved Identity Line.

As the Isles finalize their roster ahead of Thursday’s opener in Pittsburgh, Cizikas said he feels good about the team’s mix of youth and experience, as well as the fresh energy brought in by new Senior Vice President and GM Mathieu Darche.

“(Darche) put our group in a position to win and we firmly believe in one another in this room,” Cizikas said. “He has that same mindset. He wants us to go out there and compete every single night and every single shift. Guys have gone out there every single day and competed.”

But before that first road trip of the year, Cizikas is soaking up a few more days at home on Long Island.