Shawn Shea, a 29-year-old engineer from Amityville on Long Island, was looking for a few players for a pickup roller hockey game last month. Then he remembered that he was Facebook friends with Kirill Kabanov, the skilled right wing from Russia the Islanders selected in the third round of the 2010 draft.
“I figured,” Shea said, “it couldn’t hurt to ask.”
The Facebook messaging between fan and potential world-class ringer went like this:
Shea: “We’re playing in Massapequa Park.”
Kabanov: “I don’t have roller skates.”
Shea: “You don’t need them. Come on down anyway if you can.”
Kabanov: “Ok. I’ll come for sure.”
Shea was stunned. The Islanders’ prospect not only signed on, but gave the impromptu event a little publicity by updating his Facebook status with his plans for the night.
Suddenly, what Shea envisioned as a little 3-on-3 with pals at Marjorie Post Park became something none of the 30 participants and a few dozen surprised spectators would ever forget.
“We couldn’t believe what a gentleman Kirill was,” said Michael D’Andrea, a 36-year-old from Elmont who is a music therapist by day, DJ at night and amateur goaltender in his spare time. “From the moment he got there, Kirill was posing for photos on everyone’s phones, signing autographs, talking hockey, high-fiving kids. The whole night was incredible.”
Despite his offensive gifts, Kabanov’s stock slipped during his draft year because of tales circling the scouting community about immaturity and paternal interference. Once viewed as a player worthy of being drafted in the top 10 selections, Kabanov fell to the 65th pick, where the Islanders were happy to place a low-risk, high-reward bet on him.
Over the last year, there have been signs of the move paying off for the Islanders, who signed Kabanov to a three-year, entry level contract on July 1. Kabanov, a 6-foot-2 forward, had a strong postseason in the spring with his junior club, the Lewiston Maineiacs of the Quebec League. He was a finalist for the league’s Humanitarian Award, given to the player most active in the community.
Islanders fans at Post Park understand the nomination.
“One of the young players who showed up brought an extra pair of skates and Kirill put them on,” Shea said. “Supposedly it was his first time on rollerblades. His skill was amazing. He spent the whole night setting his teammates up. He got there at 8 and stayed until 10:30, when the people at the park told us it was long past time to shut out the lights.”
D’Andrea, the goalie, said: “I’ll really remember two generous things he did. Kirill passed up every chance to take a slap shot on me, possibly saving me a trip to the hospital. And when the game ended, he skated over to his goaltender, said she was the M.V.P. and gave her his hockey stick.”
The goalie was Elyssa Kaplan, a teenage Islanders fan from Dix Hills who read about the game of shinny on Facebook and asked her father for a ride to Massapequa.
“What a thrill it was for Elyssa,” Shea said. “What a night it was for all of us.”
Chris Botta will report all season on the Islanders, Rangers and Devils.
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