Islanders Excited For Coliseum Game

Thomas Hickey was trying to describe the feeling of last season's preseason game at Nassau Coliseum.
It was a little strange warming up on the opposite side of the rink than he was used to and his old pre-game routine had been disrupted by the renovation. But the vibe in the Islanders original home was the same, even if the name - now NYCB Live - was different. And one thing was for certain, it definitely didn't feel like a preseason game.
"It felt like a playoff game," Hickey said.

The Islanders beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in overtime in last year's exhibition contest, which was about as memorable a preseason game as you'll find. Not too many preseason games feature a sold-out crowd going bananas before warmups. Sunday's matinee vs the Flyers - which will be streamed live on NewYorkIslanders.com - has a lot to live up to.
"I'd never been a part of an exhibition game like that before," Josh Bailey said. "I expected our fans to be excited to go back there, but I definitely didn't expect to come out for warmups to a packed house and everyone as excited as they were."

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Last year's game at the Coliseum was Jordan Eberle's Islanders debut. The atmosphere in the building was eye-opening with fans tailgating early and chanting "Bring them home!" throughout the game.
"It was a good energy," Eberle said. "There are a lot of passionate Islanders fans around that love that rink."
While last year's Coliseum game was a one-and-done affair, the Islanders will play 20 regular-season games at their old home this year, including their final 10 home games of the regular season. The team is slated to play additional home games during the construction of the Islanders new arena at Belmont Park. It's an exciting prospect for the Islanders.
"I've talked to a lot of guys who are excited about being somewhat back at the Coliseum," Johnny Boychuk said. "I'm sure that the fans are because every time I see a fan walking down the street they always stop and say hi and say how excited they are we're going to have more games at the Coliseum."
Hickey hypothesized that the success of last year's exhibition game helped pave the way for more home games this year.
"People came and showed that they're ready to support us here like they always have been," Hickey said. "It must have been a good sign to see the building full for an exhibition game I think there's a lot of confidence that when we move half of our schedule back here for this season it'll be full."

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What is it about the Coliseum that has the Islanders so excited to return? That too, is hard to put into words. It's just a vibe. A soul.
"It's that feel," Hickey said. "Joe Louis Arena had it. Montreal, even though it's new, has it. There's just a vibe in some arenas and the Coliseum is one of the last few that has it… For us, for opposing teams, fans, it makes it fun to go. It may not have the bells and whistles of everywhere else, but I enjoy those little things."
Even for new Head Coach Barry Trotz, who said he could feel the fans on top of him when he coached on the visitor's bench, is excited for the return.
"I'm always a little old school with the buildings and the nostalgia," Trotz said. "That building was a place that you couldn't go in there and win because the fans are passionate and on top of you… It feels a little more "cozy" than it needs to be and that's an advantage."
"That's where the identity of the Islanders really is."