New York Islanders: A Tribute to Nassau Coliseum

The Coliseum means everything to the New York Islanders and their fans.

New York Islanders fans yesterday woke up to the news that the majority owner of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (now NYCB Live) Mikhail Prokhorov was shutting the doors on the arena until he could find suitable investors to cover his $100 million debt.

And while this creates an issue, given the fact that the team’s home games next season were supposed to be played out of Uniondale, that is now up in the air. As a younger Islanders fan, I do not have the memories of the four consecutive cup wins from 1980 to 1983. I do not remember a time when the Islanders were at the top of the NHL.

But what I do remember is how much the building means to me in my short 22 years on the planet. Living 15 minutes away from Nassau Coliseum, it was a mainstay growing up. Once I saw the game live, it captivated me into following the team religiously, playing the sport of hockey, and now I find myself making a career in the hockey industry covering this team and the NHL.

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When the Islanders had reached a deal to move to Barclays Center following the 2014-15 campaign, I was sick, physically sick. The team that I knew and loved would no longer be a quick car ride, but rather a grueling trek through trains and subways.

My dad and I made sure we were at, what we thought, would be the last home game ever. While Barclays was not as bad as everyone made it seem, it was not the Coliseum.

When the team announced that the Islanders would finally have a forever home in Belmont starting in 2021, I was ecstatic. But again it was not 15 minutes away and it was not the Coliseum. However, I could tolerate it, knowing finally this team was getting the place it deserved.

The Islanders and Barclays had reached the agreement this year that the team would not return for the 2020-21 season and that Nassau Coliseum, who was hosting more and more home games each year, would be the home for all 41 home games.

My heart skipped a beat. All the memories I had made came pouring back. This was even more exciting given the fact that I was graduating college and would be home for the first time in four years for a full season. You bet I have been saving every dollar I have made this year to attend as many games as possible.

And now with this news, it seems as if the new memories that I was planning on making will not occur next season at the team’s iconic, historic home.

Different media outlets have been generating different stories, some stating the team may return to Barclays Center for a season, while others disagreeing, stating that Nassau Coliseum could still host the games despite the financial issues that have come to the forefront.

What we have to remember as Islander fans is that when times get tough this fanbase has never given up. We support our team through thick and thin, which is why this arena in Uniondale has meant so much. It was not necessarily the place, but what it represented.

The league’s smallest arena hosted the biggest hockey family. The volume, the chants, the close-knit bond between us fans is something that I will cherish hope to see at the state of the art facility currently being built in Belmont.

If it truly is the end of Nassau Coliseum, it will surely be missed. The long bathroom lines, the expensive concessions, and the inability to move during intermissions are memories that I will never forget and I really mean that.

I use to walk around every intermission just to see who I would run into.  A friend from elementary school, a friend from high school, a friend from college, or just a person that I would see all the time at games who would greet me with a handshake, fist bump, or whatever else we Islander fans do (probably a “Yes Yes Yes” chant).

It was not a perfect arena. It was not an ideal arena in today’s eyes. It was not deemed a legitimate NHL arena according to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

But was it was, was a place that gave me unmeasurable happiness and tons of memories that will last a lifetime.

I am forever grateful for having the luxury of living so close and I surely hope that next year, Islanders fans can give this historical facility a final, proper send-off before the team leaves Uniondale for good.