Disgraced NHL Defenseman Scores First Goal of The Season On Own Goaltender Ilya Sorokin

Tony DeAngelo has bounced around the NHL as a journeyman and has failed to find a place in the league that he could call home.

After an altercation with Alexander Georgiev in the locker room in 2021, the New York Rangers waived DeAngelo. It wouldn't be until the next season he'd find work in Carolina, as the Hurricanes gave him a fresh start and a $1 million contract.

He'd later be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on July 8th, 2022, and would be placed on waivers only a year after for a buyout by the Flyers, as news of conflict arose with Head Coach John Tortorella.

Fast forward to 2024, after a short stint in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg, he'd be welcomed back in the NHL by GM Lou Lamiorello and the New York Islanders.

He'd sign a one-year, league-minimum( $775K) deal with the New York Islanders.

Could Lou be lamenting that cold hard cash being spent on DeAngelo? Last night, he scored his first goal of the season--on his own goalie Ilya Sorokin.

While he was touted as one of the best defensemen in the KHL, the NHL is a different story.

In eight games with the Islanders, he's only tallied 4 points (1 G, 3 A).

In the footage below you can see, Mats Zuccarello laughing and thanking DeAngelo for scoring on his own goalie. An all-time low for the veteran defenseman.

At this point, when it comes to DeAngelo, all we can offer is schadenfreude.

The troubles that have plagued him throughout his career have been his own making, including conflicts with Alexander Georgiev and John Tortorella.

Maybe Lou Lamiorello was a little too trusting of the New Jersey native, who's been a controversial figure in the league since his history was made public.

In the KHL, he came to Russia with no baggage, as the league hasn't had to deal with the bad publicity that comes attached to DeAngelo.

While he has gotten another chance in the NHL, will he decide to stay humble and work on being a better teammate?

Or turn this opportunity into another failed outing and give GM Lou Lamiorello a reason to let him walk in free agency.

It'll be difficult to see where this goes as the season progresses.

In 34 KHL games with SKA St. Petersburg, DeAngelo scored 32 points (6 G, 26 A).

Will this new opportunity with the Islanders all be for naught?