New York Islanders Pete DeBoer on Matthew Schaefer hype, the next Islanders captain and how he’s changed as a coach By Ethan Sears Published Aug. 20, 2026, 6:40 a.m. ET New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer speaks to the media following a game on April 9, 2026. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post We’re doing something a little different with the newsletter this week.
With just a few weeks to go until the Islanders are back on the ice for training camp, Sports+ caught up with coach Pete DeBoer for a little over 20 minutes on the phone on Wednesday.
Since we covered a lot of ground, it made the most sense to print our conversation in full, in Q-and-A format.
Interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
