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Tuesday, 06 October 2009 19:29 |
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By Andrew McClure Less than 24 hours after an energetic crowd helped open up the 2009-10 hockey season at Nassau Coliseum, the party carried over to Route 110 as the New York Islanders gave fans the opportunity to take photographs, get autographs and speak with the players and coaching staff at Adventureland Amusement Park in Farmingdale. The first-annual event was held to raise money and awareness for the Islanders Children’s Foundation.
 With so much attention being paid to the Lighthouse Project and the uncertainty of the team’s future on Long Island, fans were happy to be able to talk about hockey and the potential of the up-and-coming Islanders. More than 1,000 fans were on hand for the event.
Long-time fan Jimmy Graham of Uniondale thinks the organization is headed in the right direction. “We need to get off to a good start, and build some positive momentum,” Graham said. “John Taveras is certainly one of the keys, but I also think guys like Bailey, Okposo and Bergenheim are a nice group of core players. It’s real early, but they seem like their meshing together pretty well.”
Most fans feel that the team has drafted well and made wise decisions with veteran players. If the atmosphere on opening night is a sign of things to come, fans are in for an exciting season on Long Island.
 Tom Grein of Seaford, who has attended games since the inaugural season in 1972, was still beaming about the home opener. “Opening night is always fun, because there’s optimism,” he said. “But, this year seems different. With all the stuff going on with Charles Wang, the Coliseum, and everything else, the fans seem to want to show the team how much we care. There was a lot of energy in the building. We have young, talented players who look like they enjoy playing with one another.”
Despite the fact that her team finished with a disappointing record in 2008-09, Cathy Stevens of Hicksville was thrilled with the opportunity to bring her grandchildren to meet and greet the Islanders. Stevens, who has also followed the Islanders since the beginning, thinks being fan-friendly is a big plus.
“It’s great that the organization gets the players and coaches out with the fans and kids, especially since they haven’t been a very good team as of late,” Stevens said. “It shows they care about the community and about Long Island. Everyone is a having a great time.”
 Not only were the current players and coaches available to say hello to the fans, Islander great Bryan Trottier and other former players were on hand to lend their support. Trottier liked what he saw on opening night. “When you bring excitement and entertainment to the arena, it’s just awesome,” Trottier said. “Last night, was so positive. It’s great to see the exuberance from the young guys. From a veteran’s standpoint, it’s like ‘you go kids’.”
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