Greater Long Island coverage is funded in part by Toresco & Simonelli, a boutique injury and family law firm in West Islip. They fight for their clients. Click here to get in touch.
“I grew up here my whole life going to Bagel Master (in Syosset) and to Iceworks. I’m just a normal kid from Long Island living out a dream so it’s pretty cool.”
As a kid growing up an Islanders fan and playing hockey on Long Island, Marshall Warren spent countless hours at Islanders Iceworks in Syosset — then the team’s practice facility. The Laurel Hollow native knew exactly where to go to see and interact with his hockey heroes.
“I remember they had the corner locker room,” the 24-year-old defenseman told Greater Long Island following Monday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “So I would go in there as a kid after practice and everyone treated me so well. And now I’m here so it’s cool.”
“Here” means wearing blue and orange for real. Warren was called up last week from the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport and made his NHL debut Saturday, recording two assists — his first two NHL points — in the Islanders’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Flyers.
He earned the call-up after a blistering start in Bridgeport, posting five points (two goals, three assists) through four games and being named AHL Player of the Week to open the season.
Not bad for a kid who grew up spending nights at Nassau Coliseum — including one memorable night in 2021 when, as a 20-year-old, he was in the stands for an Islanders–Bruins playoff game.
“You see me on TV,” recalled Warren. “I’m like a regular fan on TV. It’s crazy. It’s pretty surreal seeing me in the crowd and now playing for them. I grew up going to the Coli. It was so loud and the fans were so passionate and sold out. The building would shake. It’s really cool for me because I was that little kid watching the game.”
‘Just a normal kid from Long Island living out a dream’
How long Warren stays up with the big club remains to be seen, but Saturday will always stick with him.
“I’m a pretty in-the-moment guy,” he said. “New day, keep going, new opportunity. I’m pretty calm. I think it’s cool in the moment. I’ve worked really hard for it so I’m just like ready to go onto whatever comes next. Just keep going every day, work hard and have a smile on my face.”
That same smile once belonged to the kid meeting his idols at Iceworks.
When Warren took his rookie laps in warmups Saturday, emotion flooded in. From the orange third jersey he wore as a boy to skating out at Wells Fargo Center in a white Islanders sweater, it all hit at once.
“A lot of emotions,” he said. “When you’re a kid, you never think you’ll actually get there when you’re like 7 or 8 years old. It’s kind of a fever dream, but you get there and it’s really cool. There are a lot of people who I thought about during those laps — a lot of hard work and a lot of people who helped me along the way.”
From growing up on Long Island to taking your rookie lap in the Islanders blue and orange.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 25, 2025
Welcome to the NHL, Marshall Warren! pic.twitter.com/5RCkBoViF5
That included plenty of family and friends who made the trip to Philadelphia. Some weren’t even Islanders fans — at least before Saturday.
“One of my best friends Blaze was a Ranger fan but I think I converted him now,” said Warren. “It’s really cool because he was miked up during the game and you see your buddies cheer for you. That was really awesome. You work so hard for that and you kind of manifest it. All those days…you’re like one day…you never know…and then you actually get there and you’re like wow.”
From college standout to homegrown Islander
Embed from Getty ImagesWarren was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. After four standout seasons at Boston College, he opted not to sign and played a fifth year at Michigan before joining the Islanders organization in 2024.
He finished last season in Bridgeport and, after a strong rookie campaign, is now among the club’s top defensive prospects — and notably, one of very few Long Islanders ever to play for the team.
Only two other players born on Long Island — Chris Ferraro (Port Jefferson) and current Islander Kyle Palmieri (Smithtown) — have suited up for the franchise. Bronx-born Richie Hansen, who grew up in Northport, also played for the Isles.
“It’s a pretty good story,” said Warren, who estimated he received “a few thousand” texts after his debut. “They’re like, dude this is insane. I think it’s even cooler because I’m from here and I’m a Long Island kid. I grew up here my whole life going to Bagel Master (in Syosset) and to Iceworks. I’m just a normal kid from Long Island living out a dream so it’s pretty cool. It’s really exciting.”
Fitting right in
Warren impressed during training camp, showcasing his poise in front of Islanders alumni now working within the organization — including Matt Martin, Johnny Boychuk, and Josh Bailey. He modeled parts of his game after former Isles defenseman Nick Leddy, who he watched closely as a kid.
Since his recall, Warren said the veteran group has made him feel right at home.
“All the guys have been really good to me,” said Warren. “They have a lot of veterans who know just how to welcome you. I feel like it’s a continuation of training camp. I played preseason games at UBS, went to Bridgeport for a few weeks and then came back up here, so it’s been cool.”
The Islanders, meanwhile, have rebounded from an 0-3 start to a five-game point streak heading into Tuesday’s game in Boston.
“You can tell the guys are amped up,” said Warren. “They’re excited. They work hard. It’s one of those things that you know that a lot of guys want to win and that’s why you’re here. All I do is want to win.”
Whether he’s in the lineup again depends on the team’s defensive health. Scott Mayfield is expected to return Tuesday, while Alex Romanov could rejoin later in the trip.
If Warren remains up, his home debut at UBS Arena could come Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “If I do get in, that would be wild. Playing at UBS would be one of the most surreal things ever in front of so many people who supported me along the way. It would be crazy.”
A local kid growing up to play for his hometown team — it’s the kind of story Long Islanders love.
Warren beat the odds, turned his childhood dream into reality, and gave the Islanders a glimpse of the future — just a phone call and a ferry ride away.
Top: New York Islanders defenseman Marshall Warren in his NHL debut on Saturday. (Credit: New York Islanders)
