NCDC Commitment Profiles: Islanders Hockey Club’s Larsson Excited For Future At Norwich University
By Alexis Demopoulos
A two-year veteran of the Islanders Hockey Club, defenseman Samuel Larsson is thrilled to announce his NCAA Division III commitment to Norwich University for the 2025-26 season.
Larsson, who hails from Sweden, has spent the last two seasons with the Islanders organization and he has enjoyed every minute of it. He played 51 games during the 2023-24 season tallying 33 points and in 54 regular season games this year, Larsson put up 26 points. He was also named to the New England All-Star team back in January.
“I am very thankful to the Islanders organization for taking a chance on me last year and I have had a lot of great experiences with great people over my two years,” said Larsson. “We have put a lot of emphasis on being one big family and me being away from home, that has been important to have. I believe we created a great relationship between players and coaches, which in turn has advanced a lot of players to college.
“The decision to come back to the Islanders was made quickly after the end of last season and mainly because I knew what I was coming back to. I also felt that the job was not finished, but unfortunately we came up short this year.”
Larsson started communicating with the coaches at Norwich right after the Islanders lost in theplayoffs in 2024. They continued the conversations into this season and around the time of the All-Star games, they picked up.
“The coaches liked my game on both ends of the ice, being able to contribute offensively while playing good defense and recognizing when to do what in certain games,” said Larsson. “They also believed that my mindset towards hockey and academics would fit with Norwich as a school.”
Coming to the United States, Larsson wanted to study international business studies and Norwich offers a great program in that. Another big influence on him going to Norwich was Islanders Head Coach Tim Kyrkostas, who is an alumni of the school.
“Our coach, Tim Kyrkostas, has shown me connections in different work areas he has from his time at the school, which is something I hold high and connect to the strong academics,” said Larsson.
“Regarding hockey the school takes pride in the team, which shows in the facilities provided and the great history of success. Norwich is known for being a hard team to play against with physicality and grit, something I hope to bring as well. The fans are also a big part of the team and seeing that first hand definitely contributed to my decision. There are not a lot of teams in Division 3 that gather a crowd in those numbers.”
Larsson was also a big fan of the campus itself as well as the facilities and he was instantly drawn to the school.
“Walking into Kreitzberg Arena for the first time was an experience and a ‘wow-factor’ and seeing a game during the second visit was a great experience,” said Larsson. “The school itself is smaller, but very well taken care of and in the middle of the mountains of Vermont offering great scenery and opportunities for other activities. I could feel myself being there and that was important to me.”
With the Islanders season over, Larsson looks forward to working hard during the off-season as he knows college hockey brings a whole new level of intensity.
“College hockey is much faster and physical than what I have experienced before, so that is definitely where my focus will be this summer,” said Larsson. “Knowing what to do with the puck before it arrives will be much more important without putting myself in a vulnerable spot to be hit. Another important aspect for me will be playing in front of a lot of fans and I have to mentally prepare for that pressure, which I hope I can use as fuel on the ice.”
The NCDC congratulates Samuel Larsson, his family, the Islanders Hockey Club and Norwich University for his commitment.