Bryan Trottier: Islanders, fans, Long Island and an unbreakable bond
Former New York Islander and hockey Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier is honored before a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nassau Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015. Credit: Jim McIsaac
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The Islanders’ Hall of Famer recalls what it was like playing at Nassau Coliseum and being a part of the Long Island community, as told to Newsday's Andrew Gross.
As players, we all felt Nassau Coliseum was an extension of the Islanders’ fans. The pride of winning in front of our fans was paramount because it extended all over Long Island.
Beating the Flyers in overtime in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Final at the Coliseum is still the greatest moment in my hockey career. Bobby Nystrom, John Tonelli, Lorne Henning, that trio made me a champion for the first time.
But, for me, it was as much about the fans as it was my teammates. It was the celebration of the fans in the moment and how that place exploded.
We were from Canada. We were from all different parts of North America and the world. But we were also Long Islanders and the fans put us on the map. I think that added to that Islanders’ identity. Because we were Long Islanders and we were New York Islanders and every fan in that building felt like they were New York Islanders, too. They felt it and we felt it.
It worked well, that dynamic.
It was fantastic. We’d go to delis and everybody knew everybody’s name. I went to where Clark Gillies lived and I’d meet his restaurant people. Wherever we went, we knew people. They introduced themselves to us. We became part of the fabric, part of their family, part of their community.
We did all sorts of community events and fundraisers all through the year. We played softball in the summer. We’d go to the schools and talk to the children. We’d play some street hockey. It would pay huge dividends. These kids all became Islanders’ fans.
Going to the schools, doing the fundraisers, we never felt like we had to do it. We were all young. We were giving back to the community that supported us so well.
There was an appreciation factor that all of us felt for the fans, and vice versa. That connection added a different level of player-fan loyalty toward one another.
We all kind of grew up on Long Island, in a sense.
Coming from Saskatchewan in 1975, I was homesick a lot. When I left in 1990, I was still learning a lot about Long Island.
The whole 15 years I had on Long Island were my most favorite years. So many wonderful things happened.
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