Islanders return to Coliseum in a homecoming game against Columbus

The Islanders are returning to the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday, as they are set to play the Columbus Blue Jackets. This will be the first regular season game the Isles will play in the Coliseum since the regular season finale in 2015, and the last real game played since the Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals.

The homecoming is welcomed by all. It’s welcomed by fans, players, and coaches alike. Anders Lee has raved about coming back to the Coliseum, as have some of the other guys.

Barry Trotz spoke highly of the Coliseum after he took over as head coach of the Islanders. As most people state, he felt that the fans were literally on top of you.

As a fan I have to say that the Coliseum is nothing but good memories for me. Even when the building was half empty and the Isles were down 7-2, there was nothing better than going to a game ten minutes away to see your favorite team play. There was an energy about the building even when the Islanders weren’t good.

The most used phrase for Isles fans to describe the Coliseum is “it’s a dump, but it’s our dump” and those words could not be more true. There are maybe three bathrooms in the entire arena, the ceiling was very close to collapsing many times, the concessions stunk and there was about an inch of room to walk through the prominade.

The “new and improved” Coliseum is lipstick on a pig. It’s still a dump, despite it now looking like a slinky and some LED lights. None of that matters because the Islanders are now home.

Home may eventually be Belmont in a few years, but for now home is exactly where it should be; The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Coliseum holds a very special place in the heart of Islander fans, as it should. It was where they had all their success, and where they should continue to have success for the next two plus years. You can’t spell Islanders without the Island.