Aatu Raty Talks Islanders Hockey Before Facing His Old Club For First Time Since Being Part Of Bo Horvat Trade

VANCOUVER --  On Jan. 30, 2023, the New York Islanders traded top prospect Aatu Raty, Anthony Beauvillier, and a conditional 2023 first-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for their captain Bo Horvat.

On Thursday night, Räty will play against the Islanders for the first time.

After Canucks morning skate, we had the chance to catch up with the former Islanders prospect to get his thoughts on the trade, his career, and playing against the team that gave him his start.

Let's start with the trade.

"Honestly, I had no idea. I feel like it's something that if you haven't been traded, you feel like it's not gonna happen," Räty said. "It’s not like I look at the rumors, but I don't think people massively talked about me getting traded. None of my friends were saying anything about that or anything. So it was definitely a shock. I wasn't on my phone, like, I wasn't in the room with my phone. So I think I found out three hours later.”

Not only is Thursday night Räty's first game against the Islanders, but it's also his 22nd birthday.

"Being my birthday, too, and playing my old team, this game was definitely marked on my calendar," Raty said. “I always find it fun to play teams where you know the players personally too and know their game. I'm just really excited. I don't know. It might feel a little weird, hopefully, but it's been so long.

"I don't think I'm going to feel like their jerseys are ours. If I make a bad pass, I might blame it on that, but it shouldn't be a problem."

On Dec. 23, 2022, 19-year-old Räty made his NHL debut, scoring against the Florida Panthers in a 5-1 win:

Räty added his second career goal against the Canucks on Jan. 3, a 6-2 win.

Räty only played 12 NHL games with the Islanders, having just those two goals.

In 29 games with Bridgeport, playing two at the end of the 2021-22 season, Räty recorded 15 points (seven goals, eight assists), adding a goal and three assists in six playoff games.

“I loved being there, playing my first NHL games, and having my parents there. Everything was just just unbelievable," Räty said. "I had a great time with Bridgeport and the Islanders, and then playing that one playoff with Bridgeport, it was great. First time in North America, so I feel like [my time in the Islanders organization] gave me a lot, and I learned a lot from there.”

After the Islander made the trade, the former second-round pick (No. 52) played three games with the Canucks before being sent to Abbotsford of the American Hockey League.

He never saw NHL action during the 2023-24 season, scoring 18 goals with 34 assists for 52 points in 72 games before scoring four points (two goals, two assists) in five Calder Cup playoff games.

He shared that playing in the AHL last season was huge for his development.

"I think my game has definitely grown [since joining the Canucks organization]. I'm still working on the same things, skating and trying to become a really good, complete player, but I think that, especially in the summer, I felt like I made some good jumps with skating, and I think last year in the minors was good to grow my game and get ready for this.

"I feel like my game has evolved, but I'm not gonna be satisfied now. So I think every single day, I'm just trying to try and just get better, and I think that's the way to go about it.”

So far in 2024-25, Räty has just one assist in seven games, centering the club's fourth line.

The last time the Islanders were in Vancouver, Räty was in Abbotsford.

"He's a really good player. He's still young. He's still got so much ceiling," Horvat said when asked if he had been keeping tabs on the biggest piece the Islanders gave up for him. "I'm looking forward to seeing him."

Puck drop from Rodgers Arena comes your way at 10 PM ET.