Anthony Beauvillier and Aatu Raty share their reactions on trade from Islanders to Canucks
New York Islanders center Aatu Raty against the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 28, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The newest Canucks spoke on Tuesday, still visibly surprised they are no longer Islanders.
“Those texts and people messaging you, old teammates, it’s never easy,” Anthony Beauvillier said. “It’s very emotional and it’s sad to leave these guys. You don’t want to beat yourself up too much because there’s something exciting ahead. But it definitely stinks saying goodbye to everyone.”
The Islanders traded Beauvillier, Aatu Raty — their top forward prospect — and a top-12 protected first-round pick in this year’s draft to the Canucks on Monday for All-Star center Bo Horvat.
Raty, 20, didn’t get the initial calls from Islanders president/general manager Lou Lamoriello informing him of the trade. Raty took his first trip into New York City with some friends and his girlfriend and had put his cell phone in a locker while at a spa.
“Luckily, my girlfriend checked her phone and she had some texts about, ‘What are you going to do in Vancouver?’ ” Raty said. “I was like, ‘Wait, what?’ I was definitely shocked but, after that, really excited for the future.”
Raty has been assigned to the Canucks’ AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, British Columbia, while Beauvillier, 25 and in his seventh NHL season after the Islanders selected him 28th overall in 2015, will join the Canucks when they resume their season after the All-Star break at New Jersey on Monday.
Three days later, the Canucks play the Islanders at UBS Arena.
“It definitely will be different getting dressed in the visitors’ locker room,” Beauvillier said. “I haven’t wrapped my head around it yet. I’m trying to focus on Jersey first. But it will definitely be a weird feeling playing on the other side of the ice.”
Beauvillier listed the Islanders’ run to the NHL semifinals in the playoff bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton and his Game 6 overtime goal against the Lightning in the 2021 NHL semifinals in the last game at Nassau Coliseum as highlights of his time on Long Island.
Raty had two goals in his first 12 NHL games with the Islanders, including a goal in a 6-2 win over the Canucks at Rogers Arena on Jan. 3. Beauvillier had nine goals and 11 assists in 49 games this season and 102 goals and 107 assists in 457 career games.
“I feel like I had some good years to start and kind of slowed down the last two seasons,” Beauvillier said. “But I feel like my numbers don’t really speak to the way I’ve been playing this year.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
