For a first impression, you could do a whole lot worse than Tony DeAngelo did in his Islanders’ debut on Saturday night.

The New York Islanders recently debuted controversial blue liner Tony DeAngelo, and now he's opened up on his return to the NHL after a stint in the KHL in Russia.

Yes, his most recent former coach opined, it was surprising that it took controversial defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who made his Islanders debut on Saturday night, this long to find a new job in the NHL.

Tony DeAngelo is signing with the Islanders for the rest of the 2024-25 season after leaving his Russian team earlier this month.

Tony DeAngelo’s timing could not have been much better. Just two weeks ago, the former New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman was playing with St. Petersburg in the Russian KHL.

Last week we published a story about how KHL team SKA St. Petersburg had terminated the contract of former NHL defenseman Tony Angelo citing ‘family reasons’.DeAngelo himself even released a statement stating family reasons for leaving Russia and thanking both the team and its fans for his time in the country.

Former New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo has signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders. The contract is for the league minimum salary of $775,000 and is prorated for the remaining games of the season.

The New York Islanders signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo for the remainder of the season, after a brief stint in the KHL.

DeAngelo had six goals and 26 assists in 34 games with the SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL before a mutual termination of his contract earlier this month to allow him to return to North America.

With the Islanders' defense in need of reinforcements, the team has agreed to a one-year deal with Tony DeAngelo.

The New York Islanders have faced heavy scrutiny following their decision to sign Tony DeAngelo, a player known for his controversial past.