Isles Excited To Rock The Barn Again

John Tavares has an affection for Nassau Coliseum. The old barn on Hempstead Turnpike was the site of his first game, the place where he scored his first goal and spent countless days at practice.
He still remembers being in awe of it the first time he played there and feeling of all the memorable moments, including his OT winner vs Washington, that first home playoff game against Pittsburgh.

Tavares knows what that place meant to him and Islanders fans as a whole, so the captain was excited for Governor Andrew Cuomo's announcement Monday that the team will get a chance to rock the barn again. Per Cuomo, the Islanders will play 12 games there next season and more games over the following two seasons before the Belmont Arena opens, likely in 2021-22.
"It's exciting obviously the place means a lot to the organization and our fans and to us as players, including myself," Tavares said. "So many great memories here, it will be great to be able to come back here. No doubt it think it's a positive thing for everybody and it's a great day out of many - especially lately - with the Islanders."

It's an encore for the Islanders, who played at the Coliseum from 1972-2015 before moving to Barclays Center. Even if it's just a slice of the schedule and only temporary, it's a return to the team's roots, the site of four Stanley Cups, 19 straight playoff series wins and a host of Hall of Fame careers. It also puts the Islanders across the street from their current practice facility at Northwell Health Ice Center.
"The team really belongs on Long Island. That's where the team was born, created its identity and really who it is," Tavares said at the all-star game. "I think if that's the case it'll be a great opportunity, a great experience to go back there and relive and create some more great history in that place."
Tavares got to write a little more history there in September, scoring a dramatic OT winner in a preseason game against the Flyers. Usually preseason games are sparsely attended and fade into the ether, but it was a sellout crowd affair that had more of a playoff feel than an exhibition, proving there was still a passion for the old barn.
"I saw a few "Lock the doors" signs [at the game]," Tavares said. "We know how our fan base felt about this place and us as players too, there have been so many good memories, at least that I've had here with my teammates and personally. I had so much fun playing here and it's such a big part of the history of the organization, and a chance to make some more here."

Josh Bailey also grew up at the Coliseum. It wasn't the nicest or newest building by the time he arrived in 2008, but it houses a lot of good feelings there. When they left in 2015, the Islanders winger said a piece of his heart would remain.
"It had a lot of character. It got a bad rap people outside of us and our fanbase, but we enjoyed playing there," Bailey said. "Especially that last season the atmosphere throughout the whole season was unmatched."
Even the Islanders opponents had to agree about the atmosphere, even if the fans weren't cheering for them. Islanders co-Owner Jon Ledecky said he sat next to Alex Ovechkin at a wedding and that the Washington Capitals star said the Coliseum was one of his favorite places to play.
"He said, 'we played you in the playoffs a couple years ago, I felt the energy of this place, it was an advantage for you, it was your seventh man. And Jon, I have never been in a louder building in my entire NHL career,'" Ledecky said of his conversation with Ovechkin.

With Belmont on the horizon, a move back is only temporary and fans should expect the building to look a little different. The seats are black, the concourse has a new coat of paint and some faux wood beams. There's a silver covering over the concrete around the exterior, giving the previously building a distinctive look. The Islanders also took what was traditionally the visitor's end of the ice in the preseason game (the locker room was bigger on that side).
"The building has obviously got a tremendous sense of history and tradition" Ledecky said at Monday's press conference. "Our fans are so excited to be here. I think if there were no seats, and they had to stand, 14,000 would come and stand here, that's how excited they are."
It may look different the second time around, but its soul should be the same, especially once "Let's Go Islanders" chants ring around the arena. That's what has the players excited about a return.
"When this place is full there's really nothing quite like it," Tavares said. "Seeing fans tailgating outside and driving in and seeing people being fired up. I know there's always a big family atmosphere coming to the Coliseum and it will be good to have that again and to have that transition into Belmont, which I think is a big part of the identity of the team."