Horvat adjusting to life with Islanders on and off the ice

New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat had a lot weighing on his mind prior to the 2022-23 season.

The now 28-year-old was entering the final season of his six-year, $33 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks and his future was up in the air.

As the team entered the all-star break, the Canucks sat in sixth place in the Pacific Division with a 20-26-3 record, and negotiations on a new deal with Horvat had hit a standstill.

"At the beginning, you think you're going to be a Canuck for life – especially being the captain there," Horvat told TSN1050's First Up on Monday. "I grew my family there and we loved it there. To not get something done stung a little bit."

Horvat was traded to the New York Islanders during the NHL's All-Star Weekend on Jan. 30 that saw forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a draft pick head to Vancouver. Six days later, Horvat quickly signed an eight-year, $68 million extension to ensure his hockey playing future on Long Island.

While Horvat wasn't necessarily expecting the deal that sent him to the Islanders, he was preparing himself for anything once talks with the Canucks fell apart.

"I knew anything could happen at that point when things weren't going well with Vancouver and the talks weren't continuing at all," said Horvat. "When I got traded to the Island, I saw the facilities, the people, the organization, and everyone spoke so highly of it. When they offered me that contract it was kind of a no-brainer, and thankfully we couldn't be more happy to be there."

Going from a Canadian market like Vancouver to an American market can often lead to changes in a player's day-to-day life. In Horvat's case, he noticed that the spotlight isn't directly on him and his team in the same way it was in Vancouver.

"It's a bit less magnetized [in New York]," said Horvat. "In Vancouver. there's only the BC Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps as the only [other] major sports teams that everyone kind of rallies around and supports majorly, and you get zeroed in on where all the writeups are about the Canucks.

"In New York you have a lot more sports teams, so maybe you're not on the front page [of the sports section] but on the second page."

Despite the competition for headlines in the New York market, Horvat believes the Islanders fan base is just as zealous as Vancouver’s.

"Those Long Island fans are passionate," expressed Horvat. "They chant through the game, and if you're not playing well, you hear about it. It's nothing new coming from a Canadian market but like that intensity. You want to be in a market where they care about the game and the team and that's where I'm at right now.

An extra element of life with the Islanders is playing for legendary general manager Lou Lamoriello. The Hall of Famer famously has his own set of rules for his players, which includes no facial hair, no long hair, no jewelry, and players must wear jackets and ties on the team bus or plane.

Horvat was a bit nervous about those rules after the trade and had to get some advice from a new teammate to see what's acceptable.

"Guys don't stretch it very far, they don't test the waters," said Horvat. "I was traded during All-Star weekend, and I met Brock Nelson there. I had a little scruff, so I asked, 'Is this good or is this frowned upon?' and he said 'Yeah, you're going to have to shave."

Despite his reputation, Horvat believes Lamoriello is reasonable, but he is more than happy to abide by his rules.

"Lou understands that a lot of guys have a lot of things going on, he really gets that." explained Horvat. "It's just one of those things where it is what it is. Guys don't really care. That's the one rule I think he's lived by since day one and you've got to respect that. If that's the only thing he's going to ask me to do during this time period, then I'm glad to do it."