Kyle Palmieri
Kyle Palmieri | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kyle Charles Palmieri February 1, 1991 Smithtown, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey forward |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Known for | Alternate captain for the New York Islanders in the NHL; former player for New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks |
Kyle Charles Palmieri (; born February 1, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey forward currently serving as an alternate captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League (NHL). His previous NHL experience includes stints with the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks.
Originally from Long Island, Palmieri advanced through the Devils-affiliated youth programs at Codey Arena located in West Orange, New Jersey. He then attended St. Peter's Preparatory School before joining the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP), where he tallied 15 goals and 15 assists across 33 appearances. Selected 26th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he played one collegiate season with the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish prior to turning professional.
Palmieri launched his professional journey with the Ducks’ AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, dividing his initial three seasons between the AHL and NHL levels. After five years with Anaheim, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2015 in exchange for second and third-round draft selections. During his six seasons in New Jersey, Palmieri achieved several personal bests before being traded to the Islanders.
On the international stage, Palmieri has represented the United States at both junior and senior levels, making his debut at the 2007 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament.
Early life
Kyle Palmieri was born on February 1, 1991, in Smithtown, New York to parents Bruce and Tammy Palmieri. At age four, his family relocated to Montvale, New Jersey. His godfather is former shortstop Bud Harrelson, who is also a cousin of his father. Bruce Palmieri worked in residential construction on Long Island’s North Fork region. Kyle began playing ice hockey at five years old with the Kodiak Hockey Club at McKay Ice Arena under coach Gary Hess.
Amateur
Palmieri’s youth hockey career included participation with New Jersey Devils-sponsored teams based at Codey Arena in West Orange, New Jersey. In 2004, he competed in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament representing the Devils’ minor hockey program. At age 14, he progressed to the 16U Junior Devils and subsequently attended St. Peter's Preparatory School for two years. During his sophomore year, he led the Gordon Conference with 58 points and earned first-team All-State recognition. He also played a key role in guiding his team to the New Jersey state championship final before entering the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP) located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
While with the NTDP Under-18 squad, Palmieri recorded 15 goals and 15 assists in 33 games, highlighted by a hat-trick during the gold medal game of the 2008 Five Nations Tournament. Although drafted by the Guelph Storm in the sixth round of the 2008 Ontario Hockey League Entry Draft, he never joined their roster. Ranked as the 20th-best North American skater by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, Palmieri was released from NTDP due to a breach of team rules. He then competed collegiately at the University of Notre Dame, where he scored nine goals over 33 games during his sole season. Subsequently, he was selected 26th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Anaheim Ducks
Following the 2009–10 campaign, Palmieri inked a three-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks and took part in their Rookie Tournament. He commenced the 2010–11 season playing for the Ducks' AHL team, the Syracuse Crunch, quickly accumulating six points over his first three games. In November, he received his initial NHL call-up, making his debut on November 3, 2010, against the Tampa Bay Lightning and netting his first NHL goal during an overtime victory. Palmieri appeared in ten games with Anaheim before returning to Syracuse. In January, he represented Team USA at the 2011 World Junior Championships. His impressive March performance—registering 15 goals and 20 points across 14 games—earned him AHL Rookie of the Month honors and a spot on the 2011 AHL Eastern Conference All-Star roster.
Palmieri attended Ducks training camp again the following season but began in the AHL, playing on a top forward line alongside Nick Bonino and Patrick Maroon. He tallied six points, including a hat trick, within his initial two contests of the 2011–12 AHL season and was honored as AHL Player of the Week. Leading the league in goals and ranking prominently in scoring statistics, he was summoned back to the NHL in December. After seven games at the NHL level, he returned to Syracuse and was selected for the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic. That season, Palmieri set personal bests with 54 points over 42 games before another NHL recall in March. He became the first Anaheim rookie since Matt Beleskey to score twice in a single game but was reassigned after seven NHL appearances. He closed out the AHL regular season with 33 goals and 25 assists in 51 games as Syracuse secured a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs.
During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Palmieri divided his time between Anaheim and their new AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, accumulating 25 points before being promoted once play resumed. On February 28, he became the second-youngest player in Ducks history to record a hat trick during a victory over Nashville. He concluded that season with 21 points across 42 games and participated in all seven Western Conference Quarterfinal matches against Detroit despite battling a shoulder injury. Coach Bruce Boudreau described his effort as "adequate." On July 26, Palmieri agreed to a three-year contract extension with Anaheim.
The 2013–14 season marked Palmieri’s inaugural full-time NHL year, during which he achieved career highs in goals, assists, and overall points. Following Dustin Penner's injury, Palmieri joined Anaheim’s top line alongside Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. He notched several multi-goal games and scored a decisive game-winning goal during his first appearance in his hometown of New Jersey. He finished with 31 points over 71 games as Anaheim qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the first round against Dallas, he scored once before being sidelined until Round Two versus Los Angeles. The Ducks were eliminated in Game Seven; Palmieri ended postseason play with three goals and significant penalty minutes throughout nine contests.
In his second contract season, Palmieri missed most of preseason due to a high ankle sprain but managed to participate fully in two practices before the regular season began. After sitting out eighteen games, he returned strongly by scoring two goals within four matches. By December, he had accumulated five goals and nine points over fifteen games but was placed on injured reserve following a recurrence of a shoulder injury. Upon returning on January 2, he scored his sixth goal of the campaign to clinch a victory against St. Louis.
New Jersey Devils
On June 26, 2015, Palmieri was traded from the Ducks to his hometown team, the New Jersey Devils, in exchange for second- and third-round selections in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. This move reunited him with coach John Hynes, who had previously guided him during his time with the UNTDP between 2007 and 2009. In his debut season with New Jersey, Palmieri achieved personal bests by leading the team with 30 goals and a total of 57 points. He secured a five-year contract extension worth $23.25 million on July 7, 2016.
Following this agreement, Palmieri represented Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey before returning to the Devils' training camp. Playing alongside Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac, he maintained an impressive shooting percentage of 13.5%. Throughout that season, he consistently contributed offensively, concluding with a team-high of 26 goals and 27 assists.
During the 2017 off-season, Palmieri trained in Boston with teammates such as Jimmy Hayes and Brian Boyle. He started the season with the Devils but sustained an injury in the opening game against the Colorado Avalanche. After missing a single contest, he resumed his role on the top line alongside Hall and Pavel Zacha. On October 13, he reached a career milestone by netting his 100th goal. A practice-related injury then sidelined him for close to three weeks; he returned on November 9 and added four goals and five assists over 13 games before suffering a broken foot later that month. As a precautionary measure, Palmieri remained out until after Christmas. On March 27, he notched his tenth multi-point game of the season and led New Jersey with 11 power-play goals, contributing significantly to their 40-win campaign—their best since the 2011–12 season. The Devils advanced to the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by Tampa Bay.
The Devils began the 2018–19 campaign in Sweden facing Edmonton during the NHL Global Series; Palmieri scored twice, marking his fifteenth career multi-goal performance and tenth while playing for New Jersey. Upon returning to North America, he became the first player in franchise history to tally multiple goals in each of their first two games of a season and later joined an elite group as only the fourth NHL player to record multi-goal games in three consecutive season openers. Additionally, he set franchise records by scoring opening goals in four straight games and netting power-play goals in each of New Jersey’s first four contests. Skating on a top line with Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier, Palmieri led the team with 22 goals and 38 points by January. After Hall withdrew from the 2019 NHL All-Star Game due to injury, Palmieri was named as his replacement. Following the All-Star break, playing alongside Marcus Johansson and Hischier, he continued to lead New Jersey offensively with 26 goals and 22 assists through 63 games before sustaining a lower-body injury against Montreal. Returning on March 8, he completed the season with totals of 27 goals and 23 assists (50 points) across 74 games.
During the 2019–20 season, Palmieri reached his 500th NHL appearance, joining just two other active Devils players at that milestone. On October 30, he recorded his first hat-trick as a Devil during an overtime loss to Tampa Bay. By December, he was leading all Devils players with 27 points in 38 games while skating alongside Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier, earning his second consecutive All-Star nod. However, an injury sustained while blocking a shot sidelined him for four games; during this stretch, New Jersey’s offense struggled noticeably. Despite this setback, Palmieri finished the regular season as New Jersey’s top scorer with 25 goals and 45 points over 65 contests, including significant power-play production.
When NHL activities resumed in January following pandemic-related interruptions, Palmieri entered his eleventh NHL season still with New Jersey. On January 31, he was placed on the league’s COVID protocol list and missed a game against Buffalo. With several teammates also testing positive for COVID-19, the Devils paused team operations for two weeks before resuming play on February 16.
New York Islanders
Following the accumulation of 17 points across 34 contests, Palmieri was traded to the New York Islanders along with Travis Zajac. In return, the Islanders sent a first-round selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2022, and forwards A. J. Greer and Mason Jobst to his former team. Upon arrival, Palmieri was reunited with former teammate Andy Greene. In the Islanders' concluding regular season match on May 8, Palmieri and teammate Mathew Barzal scored goals within 37 seconds of each other, contributing to a decisive 5–1 victory over the Devils. During his 17 games with the Islanders, he tallied two goals and two assists as the team secured a spot in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
In the opening playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Palmieri played right wing alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and rookie Oliver Wahlstrom. He netted two goals, including the overtime winner, propelling the Islanders to a 4–3 triumph. This performance marked him as the first player born on Long Island to score a postseason goal for the Islanders and also the first Islander to record two goals in his playoff debut. The Islanders overcame the Penguins in six games to advance to the Second Round against the Boston Bruins. Palmieri finished this series tied for the team lead with four goals and six points. By Game 6, he extended his point streak to five games, accumulating seven goals over 12 playoff contests. After defeating the Bruins in six games, the Islanders faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Semifinals. Palmieri primarily played on the third line alongside Pageau and Zajac but earned shifts on the top line during Game 4. Despite his efforts, the Islanders were eliminated after seven games.
On September 1, 2021, Palmieri agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $20 million with the Islanders. After producing seven points in 25 appearances, he sustained a lower-body injury on December 16. He returned to practice by January 3 but continued to be listed as day-to-day. On March 2, 2024, Palmieri achieved his third career hat-trick during a 5–1 victory over the Bruins.
On May 30, 2025, Palmieri secured a two-year contract extension valued at $9.5 million with the Islanders.
International play
Palmieri has represented Team USA at both junior and senior levels internationally. His first appearance came at the 2007 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament, where he scored twice in three games. He went on to participate in the 2008 Five Nations Tournament, where he led Team USA to gold by recording a hat-trick, and later earned bronze at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships. During his freshman year at Notre Dame, Palmieri competed in the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, ranking third in team scoring with one goal and eight assists while helping secure gold—making him Notre Dame’s first player to achieve this honor. His last junior international event was at the 2011 World Juniors, where he won bronze and was named Player of the Game against Slovakia after contributing two goals and an assist.
Palmieri made his debut with the United States men's national team at the 2012 IIHF World Championship, recording two goals over seven games. Subsequently, he was selected as a replacement for Ryan Callahan on Team USA’s roster for the World Cup of Hockey.
Personal life
In July 2019, Palmieri wed Ashlee at Macari Vineyards located in Mattituck, New York. His sister Taylor and her husband Stephen Ficchi both serve in the U.S. military; Taylor is part of the New York Army National Guard, while Stephen holds the position of an Army Ranger. Motivated by their dedication, Palmieri initiated Squad21 during the 2016–17 season to provide military personnel with opportunities to attend Devils home games. This effort evolved into the Kyle Palmieri Foundation by 2018, which supports three military-focused nonprofit organizations and organizes an annual Military Ball featuring auctions. The Devils selected him as their nominee for the 2018 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, honoring leadership and humanitarian efforts.
In 2019, Palmieri collaborated with Scott Wilson, Jeff Francoeur, and representatives from the NHL, MLB, and NFL players’ associations to file a grievance against Pittsburgh regarding its nonresident sports facility usage tax. This tax mandated that out-of-state athletes pay 3% of their taxable earnings for days spent competing in publicly financed venues.
Regular season and playoffs
2020-21 New York Islanders NHL17 2 2 4 2 19 7 2 9 10 2021-22 New York Islanders NHL69 15 18 33 57 - - - - - 2022-23 New York Islanders NHL55 16 17 33 24 6 2 3 5 4 2023-24 New York Islanders NHL82 30 24 54 26 5 1 2 3 12 2024-25 New York Islanders NHL82| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2006–07 | St. Peter's Preparatory School | HS-NJ | 34 | 28 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2006–07 | New Jersey Devils Youth 16U AAA | AYHL | 18 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | U.S. NTDP U17 | USDP | 7 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 27 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | U.S. NTDP U18 | NAHL | 32 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | U.S. NTDP U18 | NAHL | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 28 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | University of Notre Dame | CCHA | 33 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 62 | 29 | 22 | 51 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 51 | 33 | 25 | 58 | 53 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 18 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 33 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 54 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2012–13 | Anaheim Ducks 42 10 11 21 9 7 3 2 5 4 | |||||||||||||
| 2013–14 71 14 17 31 38 9 3 0 3 14 | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–15 Norfolk Admirals AHL 2 0 0 0 4 — — — — — | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–15 Anaheim Ducks NHL 57 14 15 29 37 16 1 3 4 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–16 New Jersey Devils NHL 82 30 27 57 39 — — — — — | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–17 New Jersey Devils NHL 80 26 27 53 46 — — — — — | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–18 New Jersey Devils NHL 62 24 20 44 30 5 1 2 3 6 | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–19 New Jersey Devils NHL74 27 23 50 42 — — — — — | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–20 New Jersey Devils NHL65 25 20 45 41 — — — — — | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–21 New Jersey Devils NHL34 8 9 17 18 - - - - - | ||||||||||||||
| NHL totals | 900 | 270 | 257 | 527 | 435 | 68 | 18 | 14 | 32 | 54 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | Outcome | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | Penalty Minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | United States | U17 | Template:Silver2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2008 | United States | WJC18 | Template:Bronze3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2010 | United States | WJC | Template:Gold1 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2011 | United States | WJC | Template:Bronze3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2012 | United States | WC | 7th place | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| 2016 | United States | WCH | Finished 7th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Junior career totals | 26 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 14 | ||||
| Senior career totals | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award title | Year received | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| NHL All-Star Game | 2019 | |