from Cory Wright of the Islanders website,
The banners hanging in the rafters at UBS Arena represent the ultimate accolade the New York Islanders can give one of its legendary players. Each one of them tells a story about a player who left an indelible mark on the franchise.
But what about the storytellers? How can a team honor the media figures who bridge the connection between player and fan? There is perhaps no bigger honor a team can bestow on a media member than naming its press box after them and on Wednesday, the press level at UBS Arena will officially be named after Stan Fischler.
"To have my name on the press box is roughly equivalent to something like having a little banner for me," Fischler said. "In my personal journalistic life, this is the crown jewel."
Fischler has been a fixture around the Islanders for 50 years. He covered the team as a writer during the first game in franchise history in 1972 and was a part of the Islanders first telecast in 1974-75. For years, he was beamed into living rooms on SportsChannel and MSG Networks, bringing his unique interview style, hockey acumen and love of the Islanders into fans' homes.
I thought I commented before but it disappeared. But I wanted to say that I am sad I won't be at WED game vs. The Rag$ when they honor Stan. The team has a ton of special events planned but I never hear about them. I am now a senior citizen, but I grew up with Stan on TV all these years. He was always easy to approach on the lower level of the Coli during games when he was not on the show. He had a great interviewing style and asked great questions. His interviews with Evgeni Nabokov were the best! Many NHL broadcasters/writers started as Fischler interns. I wonder why he is not in the NHL Hall of Fame - both as a writer and a broadcaster. Good for the Isles to honor the MAVEN!
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