Mitchell Chaffee suited up for his first game as a New York Islander on Tuesday night. It did not take long for him to introduce himself.
Chaffee delivered a big hit on Anaheim's Frank Vatrano along the boards, and that immediately drew the attention of A.J. Greer, a former Islander now with the Ducks. Greer, reportedly back in the lineup after the Ducks were pushed around in a previous game against Boston, challenged Chaffee to answer for the hit.
Chaffee obliged without hesitation, dropping the gloves in his very first appearance in an Islanders sweater.
It was not a small ask. Greer stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 224 pounds, giving him a notable size advantage over the 6-foot-1, 197-pound Chaffee. Still, Chaffee held his ground and threw his punches.
Greer ultimately landed the cleaner right hands and was given the edge in the bout. But the willingness to stand in against a bigger, experienced fighter in his debut earned Chaffee immediate respect.
That kind of toughness and willingness to protect teammates tends to resonate quickly in an NHL locker room. Whether or not Chaffee won the fight on the scorecard, the message was clear: he is not going to back down from anyone.
Islanders fans now have a new name to watch, and Chaffee has already made sure nobody will forget his first shift on Long Island.
