My Last Game at Nassau Coliseum 4/19/15

Before this season started, I said that if the New York Islanders made the playoffs, I would come home from Albany to go to a playoff game. I've never been to an NHL playoff game, and I didn't want to live my life without going to one at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Islanders had a successful regular season, and while they didn't get home ice advantage for their first round series against the Washington Capitals, they did get a home game at a time I could attend: Sunday April 19 at noon.

Autographs were the last thing on my mind for this game, but I always come prepared just in case I see somebody.

The game itself was an amazing one. It was everything I could have asked for my first (and last) playoff game at Nassau Coliseum. In case you don't know what happened, here's how the game ended.


After the game, I didn't have my voice for a few days.

But during the game, something cool happened. At the second intermission, I went to go use the bathroom, which can be a difficult and time consuming task at the Coliseum, which may be one of the reasons they are leaving. Instead of trying to find one on the concourse, which is impossible during an intermission, I headed down to the lower lobby.

The lower lobby is where I've met many Isladner greats by the MSG studio. This season alone, I've met legends Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, and Denis Potvin. But since this game was televised live nationally on NBC, there was no show at the studio today.

While in line for the men's room, I noticed someone familiar walking toward me. After someone took a selfie with him, I realized it was Islander great Clark Gillies. I had left my bag with my sharpies and stuff to get signed at my seat, so the only option I had was to go for a photo. I went to ask for it, but he said he would be right back before walking down a VIP tunnel.

A few minutes later, Gillies emerged and was walking through the crowd quickly. After signing an autograph for someone else, I took my phone out and went next to him for a selfie. He smiled and I took the photo on the right. I think he was sitting in the stands and had to go to the bathroom at the intermission. Since his name is in the rafters, he can do whatever he wants. I got his autograph a few times before, so I wasn't upset about missing out on the chance for the autograph. It isn't the greatest selfie, but it is a selfie with a Hall of Famer, so I won't complain.

That was a pretty cool moment, and another one happened at the end of the game. As everyone was leaving, I was in no rush. I just sat in my seat and absorbed the Nassau Coliseum atmosphere one last time. When I finally left my seat, I walked down toward the concourse to go outside.

Once I entered the concourse, I noticed a group of people just standing around. After walking toward that area, I noticed it was another Islander legend, Bob Nystrom. Nystrom isn't in the Hall of Fame, but he scored the greatest goal in Islanders history to give them their first Stanley Cup in 1980.

Unlike Gillies, Nystrom was in no rush. He was shaking every hand and taking every photo with anyone who asked. I brought a puck with me and asked him to sign it. He signed it, but my silver sharpie was dead and the autograph is barely visible, as you can see on the right. He then used my sharpie to sign a woman's hoodie and a couple tickets, which came out better than my puck.

Since the puck came out bad, I wanted to get another autograph. Nystrom was still busy taking pictures so I had a minute to dig out an Islanders team logo sheet from my bag. I previously got Rick Bowness and Butch Goring to sign the sheet with a black sharpie. I had no black sharpie with me, and I grabbed the first one I could find out of my bag. That one turned out to be orange, which was fine because it's an Islanders color. Nystrom signed the logo sheet with the orange sharpie, adding the third signature to my sheet.


Before Nystrom left, I took a selfie with him and thanked him for his time. That photo turned out to be the final one I ever took inside Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. A selfie with the man who helped put the Islanders on the hockey map.

That's all for this entry. Thanks for reading. Farewell Nassau Coliseum. 

Islanders Hall of Famers 1/16/15

The weeks at home flew by so quickly, but now I'm back in Albany getting ready for another semester. However, I had one last chance to get autographs while I was home, and I capitalized on it.

The Islanders played the Penguins last week in one of he last games before the NHL All-Star break. On this day, the Islanders were honoring Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier. I had met fellow Hall of Famer Denis Potvin when he was honored earlier in the season. Now, I tried to meet Trottier before he was honored.

After getting to the MSG TV studio in Nassau Coliseum's lower lobby, I tried to squeeze my way into a decent position. This was my view as I waited for Trottier to show up for his interview with Shannon Hogan.

While waiting, one of the producers informed everyone that another Hall of Famer, Mike Bossy, would be on the broadcast also. That made the excitement build even more. Eventually, a murmur grew in the crowd which only meant one thing, the Hall of Famers were coming. 

Trottier and Bossy showed up at the same time, and Trottier immediately started signing while Bossy got some directions from a MSG producer. Eventually, Trottier hit a rut while signing. By a rut, I mean he ran into a bunch of people who didn't have pens. (Tip: If you are trying to get autographs, bring sharpies. That is very simple, but it's amazing how many times people don't have sharpies. Bring more than one in case you lose one or one dries up.) Since I saw he was stopped, I held up my sharpie and called Bryan over. He came right to me and signed a card and a photo I took with him many years ago. 

I told Trottier that he could keep my sharpie for a few minutes, and he did. When he came back toward me, he signed a puck for me as well. The puck was a special puck commemorating the Islanders Stanley Cup Championship in 1980. Eventually, Bossy started signing as well, and I got him to sign the puck as well. Thankfully someone else had a blue sharpie to make my life easier. After signing for 5-10 minutes, Bossy and Trottier got on set and did the interview with Shannon Hogan. 

After the Islanders won the game, I went home to see if I had made it on TV during the MSG+ pre game show. Thankfully I had put the pre game show on DVR, and when I turned on the DVR, I was delighted to see this. (That's me in the blue beanie in the middle.) 

Here are the autographs I got from Trottier and Bossy. That should do it for this entry. Thanks and good luck graphing! 

Hall of Famer Denis Potvin 11/29/14

When I was home for Thanksgiving break, there was some graphing to be done. I went to Nassau Coliseum for the first couple times this season over the break to watch the Islanders, who have been a pleasant surprise so far this season.

Before their game against the Devils on 11/29, the Islanders were scheduled to honor Hall of Famer and longtime Islanders Captain Denis Potvin. However, like all other important people, Potvin was going to be interviewed on the Islanders MSG+ pre-game show. So, before the game, my father and I headed over to where the interview was going to happen.

At the Coliseum, the studio is set up in the lower lobby on ice level. It is really easy for any fan to access. Usually, that is where the pre-game show and the show in between periods is shot. I figured Potvin would be interviewed on the pre-game show like some other Isles legends had been before him, so I stood in a good spot around the fence that surrounded the studio. I probably could have gotten an autograph from Islanders great and MSG analyst Butch Goring during the time I was waiting for Potvin, but I had nothing for him to sign.

At about 6:30, Potvin walked down a hallway toward the studio. The giveaway for the game was a Denis Potvin mini-locker, and my father and I each got one on the way in. Eventually, Potvin walked right up to me, took my sharpie, and signed a puck for me and a mini-locker that my dad had. One of the producers for MSG asked Potvin to sign for a few minutes so they could get a shot to use in their pre-game show, and Potvin was happy to oblige. As he was walking toward me, I got him to sign another puck, as you can see in the video below. When I asked, he added the Hall of Fame inscription.


Shortly after signing, Potvin was interviewed on the pre-game show and honored with a ceremonial puck drop before the game.  If you read this blog often, you may remember I got Glenn 'Chico' Resch to sign one of the same type of puck in April that I got Potvin on that night. Here are the three autographs my dad and I got of him.

That's it for this brief entry. I'm heading back to Long Island for my winter break from school. I'll have some more stories when I get there. Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating and good luck graphing.