Varlamov’s Remarkable Return to the Ice

On Tuesday, it had been 676 days since Semyon Varlamov took to the net during a mostly forgettable overtime loss in Washington.

One of the odd parts of this timeline is that Varlamov wasn’t labeled as injured until two games later.

The very next day, he was a backup to Ilya Sorokin against Buffalo, and he sat on the bench in Montreal three days after that for another overtime loss.

It was only after this series of games that the Islanders decided to hold him out due to what they referred to as a lower-body injury.

It’s almost miraculous that Varlamov’s career didn’t come to a halt during those days.

Nearly two years and two partial knee replacements later, a 38-year-old Varlamov made his return to Madison Square Garden for his first regular-season start since that injury which once seemed like it would sideline him permanently.

“Everything feels great. Everything feels 100 percent,” Varlamov shared after a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. “Nothing holds me back, which is great news.”

While he will undoubtedly strive for a better performance—having allowed three goals on 22 shots before the Rangers added two empty-net goals—it’s hard to criticize him after such a comeback.

It probably didn’t help that the Rangers took 6:40 to fire their first shot—a slapshot from Oliver Bjorkstrand that actually surprised Varlamov and ended up in the net. The second shot didn’t come until 12:12, which Varlamov managed to block from Mika Zibanejad.

“When you haven’t played a game for a while, of course, so many thoughts go through your head,” Varlamov reflected. “How are you gonna perform tonight, what’s going to happen? Just a thousand thoughts racing through your mind during the day and right before the game.”

Presumably, with time, these anxious thoughts will fade as he becomes accustomed to being back on the ice as part of a season’s routine. Still, it’s truly remarkable to see him compete professionally again.

The Post has struggled to find another example of an athlete in any of the four major U.S. sports who has returned from two partial knee replacements.

This type of surgery mostly involves replacing only the damaged section of the knee while keeping the rest intact.

Dustin Pedroia, the former Red Sox MVP, underwent extensive procedures following a serious knee injury in 2017, ultimately leading to a partial knee replacement in 2020. He stated that the surgery meant he would never play again, fearing it could break and significantly impact the rest of his life.

Pedroia expressed support for Varlamov in a text on Tuesday.

“Semyon will be fine! With the partial replacement, the main concern is the impact from activities like running. Skating is actually beneficial for the joints because it builds quad muscles and alleviates pressure on the joint! And being a goaltender shouldn’t pose an issue at all! This is cool to see. I will be rooting for him!”

Last week, Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche mentioned that they’re not expecting to monitor Varlamov specially as the season progresses.

According to him, the team’s doctors were quite surprised during annual physicals this year.

“They’re like, I don’t know what to tell you. This is extremely impressive,” Darche recollected.

With no clear reason to hold back, the Islanders have chosen Varlamov as their backup goalie this season. He participated in one and a half preseason games, and coach DeBoer has indicated that the plan is for him to start “at least” 30 games behind Ilya Sorokin.

Yet, the first one was particularly meaningful.

“As his teammate and friend, it’s just incredible to see,” said Kyle Palmieri, who went through a rehab for a torn ACL alongside Varlamov last season. “I watched him prepare his body day in and day out. He seemed to enjoy the process, taking it day by day, and here he is now. It’s awesome to be a part of this, and as a team, we are thrilled to have him back.”