So Long, Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum

When it was announced that the New York Islanders would be packing up operations at Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum to move to Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, I felt it would be a great opportunity for me to participate in a part of history as it were. I never experienced the Chicago Stadium, the Montreal Forum, Maple Leaf Gardens, the Spectrum in Philadelphia, or the Hartford Civic Center (RIP "Brass Bonanza").

So after a couple months of planning, I made the trip out to Long Island to see the Islanders host the Montreal Canadiens for what would prove to be a tilt that could possibly determine the top-seed in the East at the time.

Nassau Coliseum isn't like your Madison Square Gardens, your Verizon Centers, or your Pepsi Centers - resting in the midst of urban locales. Nor is it akin to the Wells Fargo Centers or United Centers - a couple stops on a bus or train from a city's focal center. The Coliseum resides in Uniondale, NY, about a 45 minute drive from the sprawl of New York City proper. Uniondale is not a casual vacation destination, it's a suburb.

Much has been made of the decrepit condition of the barn, and no one would call it glamorous. Unlike the two- or three-tiered stadiums we are quite used to now, Nassau sports a single-level concourse with access to the 100-, 200-, and 300-level seats from this hall. Navigating around can be quite the ordeal with 16,000 fans circling the rink while standing in criss-crossed lines for snacks, beer, bathrooms, and merchandise. The main entrance offers a way down to a main food court, the only place aside from your seat or a couple outdoor picnic benches to sit and eat. Much like rush hour 30 miles west, traffic is nothing but cramped.

Inside the arena, the banners hang from the ceiling to pay tribute to the Islanders' glory days in the late '70s and early '80s. Not only did the stadium see the Isles win four consecutive Stanley Cups (1980-1983) but it housed the New York Nets' (now Brooklyn Nets) only 2 championships (1974, 1976) in their history from their days in the ABA. They also sport probably the most unique banner I've ever seen, commemorating Billy Joel's 9 sold out shows from his 1998 world tour.

(Please excuse poor photo quality, my phone's camera isn't that great)

The video signage and jumbo-tron were laughably outdated, the sound system seemed like it could've used new boxes a decade ago, and there was no 3-D projection pregame entertainment. Junior teams in smaller Canadian arenas are keeping more current in tech (seriously). While Nassau is quite the anomaly compared to modern sports arenas, the real charm comes from the immersive fan experience.

Maybe the homegrown turnout has increased in recent years due to the increased success of the club but the blue and orange faithful we're loud and involved. Canadiens fans came out in full force to be sure (myself included), and it created a competitive atmosphere in the stands. While many fans around the league fall slave to the almighty jumbo-tron - making noise when the stylized "Make Noise!" flashes up on the screen accompanied with the "loudmeter" or what have you - Isles fans keep it going throughout gameplay. Every couple of minutes a "Let's Go Islanders" would erupt from one corner or the other, prompting hundreds of like-minded individuals to join the vocal charge. When Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge fans would begin their own "Go, Habs, Go" chants, they would quickly be drowned out by "U-S-A" piling on top, keeping in rhythm.

The fans were great and very friendly, aside from some d-bag practically trying to fight a teenager after the game. Canadiens fans and Islanders fans were comfortably intermingling and, much to my surprise, a couple Rangers logos popped up without any harassment from the peanut gallery. I spoke to some older guys briefly during intermission who were eager to talk about their visits to Montreal for games and, upon realising I don't hail from La Belle Province, regale me of stories from the old Chicago Stadium.

Nassau Coliseum is slated to undergo a massive renovation beginning in August and, while it is reported that the name will continue on, the Islanders presence will be gone from the building. It still hopes to house professional sports teams but nothing within the pedigree of an NBA or NHL franchise as it knew. The Islanders move on, but the memories of Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, and Clark Gillies will remain. We shall see if Barclays Center in the heart of Brooklyn can build upon the New York Islanders legacy.