Robin Lehner’s former teammates have seen the posts on X.
The exact details of what the former Islanders netminder is going through are not completely clear, but the string of posts 10 days ago made it obvious that it is serious.
“Never had silence and my brain is now fully broken that there is no return,” wrote Lehner, who has been open about battling bipolar disorder in the past. “The chaos never stop [sic] and the fantasy and delusions that I prayed was a nightmare was unfortunately the reality.”
The teammates with whom Lehner won the Masterton Trophy in 2018-19 just want him to be OK.
“We had such a great time with Robin when he was here on the Island,” Anders Lee told The Post. “Especially here for us and for him. Hope nothing but the best for him and his family. You can kinda decipher that they’re going through a tough time. Just want to be thoughtful about them. You just want to hear that he’s doing all right.”
Lehner played just one season with the Islanders, but was instantly a fan favorite due to his openness about his past personal struggles.
He returned the favor in kind, putting up a .930 save percentage and later getting a tattoo of Long Island on his neck — crediting general manager Lou Lamoriello and the organization with pulling him out of a low point.
Though Lehner is still being paid by the Golden Knights this season, he has not played since undergoing hip surgery prior to the 2022-23 season, and failed to report to a medical exam last summer that was required to remain on long-term injured reserve.
Vegas is still paying his salary this season, but the NHL and NHLPA agreed that it would not count against the salary cap.
In his thread on X, Lehner alleged that the hierarchy in Vegas had mistreated him, while heavily implying that Lamoriello had reached out to try to help his current issues, which include a drawn-out bankruptcy case.
“There has been one hand that reached out to really help me and try to get me out of this. From the one organization that gave my family some hope and a new start,” Lehner wrote. “We all know who this man is and he is the same one that didn’t judge me and met me after all other teams just took me in saying bad s–t and guts to judge me after Buffalo told everyone I was in rehab without my consent. But me and this beautiful man met for breakfast and talked about family.
“… Long Island gave me a year of happiness in the nightmare that is my life and I can’t express what I owe them and the fans there that helped get me strength in a life where there have never been any but from wife and kids.”
The feeling is mutual.
“He was great with our fans,” Mathew Barzal told The Post. “Kinda rode with all the fan love and media love. It was great. He was a rock for us, but he was also just a fun personality to have in the locker room. Talking about everything, funny guy, laughing, making funny comments and whatnot. I really enjoyed playing with him.”
Ahead of Monday’s game against the Sabres — their first at home since Lehner spoke out — a number of fan accounts on X suggested chanting Lehner’s name at UBS Arena in a show of support.
Just like old times.
“He was a great teammate,” Matt Martin told The Post. “… He came in, was focused, he was dedicated. Obviously played great for us in goal. Off the ice, guys loved him. Obviously we knew about his history and what he was going through, he worked extremely hard that year to keep things on track, was extremely focused in net.
“From spending time with him, know how much he loved the Island and playing here and our fan base. Obviously our fan base was behind him and supported him. The team as well.
“It’s difficult to see a guy you played with and care about go through what he’s going through. And we hope he’s OK.”