Already a proven NHLer, Mathew Barzal may be adding rock star to his resume.
The Islanders’ center was spotted on stage over the summer, jamming out on guitar with a band at Still Partners in Sea Cliff.
“It was my first time playing in front of people,” Barzal said. “I looked up and there were just bunch of eyes on me and it was a little nerve wracking.”
A little stage fright is a new thing for Barzal, who is unfazed by playing hockey in front of thousands people nightly at UBS Arena. He wasn’t afforded any anonymity either, getting an introduction on stage, which caught the ears of a few Isles fans in attendance, before breaking out into some Tom Petty and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“It's easy to go play in front of 20,000 when you're comfortable in what you're doing and I feel comfortable on the ice,” Barzal said. “You go up there as kind of a beginner and I definitely had the nerves, but it turned out well. I was playing with two really good players, so they kind of hid some of my mistakes, which is nice.