Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Goodbye Nassau Coliseum

05/01/2015 at 1:16pm EDT

from Cory Wright of the Islanders' website,

As the Islanders bundled their sticks, packed their bags and cleaned out their lockers this week, many took a moment to pay their respects to the franchise’s home for the last 43 years, Nassau Coliseum.

Players walked down the tunnel to the ice – the Islanders logo still painted at center – and took a look around. The banners still hung proudly, the air full of history, as bittersweet memories of the final game here – a 3-1 Game 6 win – slowly sunk in.

To some it’s just a rink, but to the Islanders – many of whom have known no other team – it’s so much more.

“It’s been home for six years for me,” John Tavares said. “It’s a lot more than just a building and playing games here.”

The Islanders worked and played together here nearly every day for eight months per year for 42 seasons. You can tell it’s been lived in. The low-hanging ceiling tiles outside the locker room have been dented by countless soccer balls, much like a dinged garage door after a summer of ball hockey. There are marks on the Expo Hall floor, from pucks being stickhandled before games. There are layers of paint covering up scratches from equipment bags and carts.

continued

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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