Huntington Deli Makes Sandwich Honoring Islanders' Johnny Boychuk

HUNTINGTON, NY — "Johnny Rocket" isn't just a nickname for a laser goal scored by New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk anymore. Following the NHL player's choice to halt his career, Huntington's Blue Line Deli crafted a sandwich to honor Boychuk and his signature shot from the, well, blue line.

Boychuk, 36, recently ended his playing career following an injury to his left eye, NHL.com reported. The Islanders traded for Boychuk from the Boston Bruins in October 2014. When the news came out on Boychuk's status, Blue Line Deli owner Donald Rosner — a lifelong Islanders fan — wanted to do something for the defenseman.

"He’s not like just any other player," Rosner told Patch. "When him and [Islanders defenseman] Nick Leddy came, he was a big-name guy. The Islanders never landed any big-name guys, so when him and Leddy came, it was a big deal. He’s been such a big part of the team, it just made sense that we’d try to honor him in some way."

The Johnny Rocket consists of grilled pastrami, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on triple decker-style grilled rye bread.

The sandwich's design wasn't random.

Rosner reached out to Boychuk's brother, David Boychuk, on Twitter to ask him what his brother's favorite sandwich is. Within 30 minutes, David informed Rosner that Johnny consistently grabs a pastrami Reuben from a place near the Islanders practice rink.

Rosner got to work designing the sandwich. The only thing left was to name it. The deli owner consulted with the Islanders fans who follow him on Twitter. Of the roughly 100 people who offered name suggestions, 75 percent went with "Johnny Rocket" — what many fans affectionately refer to as a Boychuk blast from the point.

As of Wednesday, Boychuk has yet to venture to Blue Line Deli to try the sandwich. However, he knows about it.

The hockey star joined the NHL Network earlier in the week to discuss his decision to end his playing career. That's when the hosts asked Boychuk if he was familiar with the sandwich named for him at the Huntington eatery.

"There's a shop down the street from the practice rink, and I always go there for pastrami Reubens. Sometimes, not every day," Boychuk told NHL Network with a laugh. "But my brother asked me [what my favorite sandwich is], and I'm like, 'Why are you asking me this?' and all of a sudden, now I get a sandwich. So, there you go."

Rosner said he had no idea the anchors would ask Boychuk about his deli's creation and was "completely amazed" when they did.

"That was very cool for me knowing that at least he heard of us and heard of it," Rosner said. "The point is, we’re honoring him. That’s why I did it. I was hoping he would come in and try one, but at the very least, hope he would hear about it and hear that there were fans who were celebrating his career along with him."

Boychuk did not commit to retirement, as the alternative is the long-term injured reserve list, according to his interview with NHL.com. Before his eye injury forced his hand, Boychuk racked up 206 points (54 goals, 152 assists) in 725 NHL games.

"I just know it's going to cause me to not play because it's basically not safe for me if I can't see things coming," he told NHL.com. "For the future, I have no idea what to do. This has been two months of going to doctors, and I'm trying to think about what I can do after, but I'm not too sure yet. I want to be on [Long] Island, obviously. We built a house there. There were no plans on leaving. But I just don't know."

Blue Line Deli is at 719 W. Jericho Turnpike and can be reached at 631-944-3222. Rosner opened the hockey-themed deli in early 2020 — just before the coronavirus pandemic took off. He said his business is doing OK, and things slowed down once the Islanders were eliminated in mid-September in the Eastern Conference Final of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"Anyone with a brain could’ve seen that coming," Rosner said. "We had such a good run. Between teaming up with the Islanders and all the giveaways we did, there was just so much excitement here. We had so many things going on all at once that we were always busy. The numbers might not have been where they needed to be, but it was busy enough to make me happy and sustain."

The business is still getting plenty of support from people and is doing enough to "stay alive" for the time being, Rosner said.

"I’m hoping when hockey comes back or the COVID thing starts to slow down a little bit when a vaccine comes out, that things will pick up a little bit more," he said. "In the near future, we’re OK. We’re extremely grateful for the support that we’ve gotten and continue to get."