Smithtown Native Impresses at Islanders Prospect Camp

Smithtown's Tony Romano is a veteran of many NHL prospect evaluation camps. However, his third with the Islanders, and fifth overall, may be the most memorable.

Romano, who dazzled writers, scouts and fans alike all week long, netted the game-winning goal in the team relay shootout competition on Saturday night in front of nearly 5,000 fans at Nassau Coliseum.

"We’re all competitive people," Romano said. "We always want to win. It was just fun, we were chirping each other back and forth a little. Pretty fun that we pulled it out at the end."

All the fun and games on Saturday were the result of years of dedication to his craft. Romano, 23, has emerged as one of the young leaders on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders AHL affiliate, and will look to break through to the NHL in the near future.

"It’s been a slow progression for me," he said. "But it started really picking up at the end of last season when a lot of guys got called up when there were injuries, I got more of a leadership role. So hopefully I can build off that and really take it into my third year and have a good year this year."

A sixth round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2006, Romano starred at Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League in the 2008-09 season before having his rights traded to the Islanders. He led the Petes in points (69), goals (36), power-play goals (14) and shorthanded goals (3) in his final season before turning pro.

In 67 games this past season with Bridgeport, he notched 19 points and 56 penalty minutes.

Romano will attend the Islanders main training camp in September with aspirations of gaining any NHL experience he can.

"We’ll see what happens," he said. "Hopefully I get a good amount of opportunity and I do well with it, but I also hope I get a couple NHL exhibition games."

As for whether he thought he might be considered for a call-up at some point during the season, should he be sent back to Bridgeport in September, a humble Romano kept an eye on the task at hand.

"It’s tough to say right now," he said. "It all depends on your progress and your production out there."