Johnny Boychuk makes his return to the NHL.

It has been a minute since I've heard the name Johnny Boychuk in the news, but if you're a fan of the New York Islanders it sounds like it is a name you're going to be hearing a lot more of for the foreseeable future.

According to a report from Andrew Gross of Newsday, Boychuk is now set to begin the next chapter of his career. Gross reports that Boychuk has been hired by the New York Islanders, the last team he played for in the National Hockey League, to serve in a player development role.

Boychuk had already been spotted on the ice with the New York Islanders this week but he will now be doing so in an official capacity as a part of the Islanders' front office.

Unsurprisingly the reception to the announcement has been overwhelmingly positive, with Boychuk being a very popular figure in the hockey markets where he became a mainstay. Even though it's been many years since he last wore a Bruins jersey, Boychuk still gets plenty of love every time his name comes up in Boston, and the same can be said of the reception he receives from the Islanders' faithful.

Boychuk has all the experience you could possibly want from someone in a player development role, having battled his way to the NHL through the Western Hockey League and the American Hockey League before embarking on his 725 game NHL career. Boychuk was also, by all accounts, an excellent figure to have in the locker room, and no doubt that played a significant role in why the Islanders made the decision to bring him back and include him as a part of the culture they are trying to build within the organization.

As for the specific nature of Boychuk's role in player development there aren't any details to share in that regard just yet. I suspect it will resemble much of what we have seen from him thus far in training camp, but perhaps we will get more insight from Boychuk himself if he makes himself available for questions.