The End

The old saying in sports is, "There's always next year." However, for me at least, next year doesn't have the same hope and promise that usually does.

I have been very fortunate in my life. I haven't really had to deal with death close to me. But tonight, all of us in blue and orange mourn as one.

Throughout my life, the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum have been one of the few constants. Whenever I wanted to watch them, with the exception of a couple lockouts, they were there. When a relative died in 2003, I was scheduled to go to a game with my dad a few days later. I went to that game with an aunt, it seemed like a normal thing to do. To cope.

Now we mourn not just a loss, not just the end of a promising season, not even the end of an era, it's the end of a lifetime.

No building, not even a renovated Coliseum, will ever be the same as what we are leaving. What other arena in professional sports is called a barn? What other arena has hosted four consecutive Stanley Cup Champion teams?

The New York Islanders were the first team ever introduced into my life, and Nassau Coliseum became a home just 15 minutes away from home for me.

It's been a tremendous journey, and one I would not change for anything.

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum 1972-2015

While now is the time to mourn, eventually that time will pass. 

The new message will be: No Sleep 'till Brooklyn. 

Lets Go Islanders!