Islanders Unveil Chair of Honor at UBS Arena

As UBS Arena was being built, there were plenty of tributes to Nassau Coliseum.
The low ceiling and the intimate feel stand out, but another carryover from the Coli was a tribute to veterans. It was always in the name at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, but at UBS Arena, the tribute will be one of the best seats in the house.
The Islanders unveiled a Chair of Honor at UBS Arena on Thursday, an unoccupied chair in honor of those who are Prisoners of War (POW) or Missing in Action (MIA). It's a saved seat to symbolize there will always be a place for them at UBS Arena, awaiting a safe return.

"The seat is going to be a symbol of what America stands for," Islanders Co-Owner Jon Ledecky said. "A lot of folks have banners in their arenas, we think having a seat would really be a special thing because everyone will walk by that seat."
To mark the occasion, which fittingly fell on Veteran's Day, the Islanders invited a group of 11 veterans to tour UBS Arena and attend a ceremony to unveil the chair. Ledecky led the tour of the arena, which is set to open on Nov. 20th, when the Islanders host the Calgary Flames.

"It means a lot to us that we're not forgotten and even more importantly that POW and MIA personnel are not forgotten as well," said Jennifer Kasker, a Lt. Col. who served in the army and military police. "That holds a special place in our heart because many of us have lost people over the years, whether they're friends or people in our units. It's a very special thing."
The Chair of Honor continues the Islanders long legacy of honoring and paying respect to servicemen and women, both veteran and active duty. The team honors a military hero of the game, a practice that will continue at UBS Arena. The Islanders also support Metro New York's first Warrior Hockey team, made up of disabled veterans.
"It's special. I lived on Long Island for a while, so it's great to see UBS Arena and the Islanders pay back to the community," Andre Valmore, a former Staff Sergeant in the Marines, said. "It's great to see an organization such as this wrap their arms around it."
For Ledecky, paying tribute to the military hits a personal note, as his father became an American citizen by serving in the 1950s. Ledecky said his father instilled his sense of patriotism, as well as respect for servicemen and women.
"They're truly our heroes, they're serving our country, putting themselves in harm's way each and every day," Ledecky said. I'm just amazed by them. The backgrounds of the folks who are here representing the various service branches are just astonishing to me. The modesty of these folks who have incredible resumes and incredible backgrounds - it just makes my heart sing."

The veterans on site for Thursday's event got a big surprise. A 7'1 surprise to be exact, as Shaquille O'Neal was on hand for the ceremony. Shaq was at UBS Arena promoting his chicken sandwich, Big Chicken Shaq, which will be one of the food offerings at the arena, but felt compelled to come and thank the veterans for their service in person. In addition to being one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, Shaq comes from a military family, as his step-father was a US Army sergeant.
"It was awesome. When you see him, you're just mesmerized by how big he is and how great of a person he is," Andre Valmore, a former Staff Sergeant in the Marines, said. "It was special, exciting to see and meet him and I really appreciated it."
Fans can visit the POW and MIA seat located near the Tailgate Bar when the arena opens on Nov. 20th. While the seat is permanently unoccupied in tribute, Ledecky hopes that future returnees will get to see it in person upon a safe return home.
"Every day should be Veteran's Day," Ledecky said. "The idea of having this seat here, a permanent seat at UBS Arena, is to recognize that we will always remember everyone who served and we hope that those who are MIA or POW far of field will have a chance to come back one day and sit in that seat."