WHY THE ISLANDERS MUST STAY
By Janice Arbour, daughter of The Coach
CB for Fanhouse on Gretzky’s Fall
[I exchanged a few emails this week with my friend Janice Arbour. Until a year ago, Janice worked at NHL Productions for a long time. I asked Janice for her thoughts on the Islanders possibly leaving Nassau County. The daughter of Hall of Fame coach and man Al Arbour was gracious enough to write the following for the readers of Point Blank...CB]
I have been linked to the New York Islanders since we both came into existence in 1972. Granted, I missed out on that first year since I was living in St Louis, Missouri and apparently crying up a storm whenever my Mom left the room. Everything changed in 1973 when my father took the head coaching job of the New York Islanders and my mother was forced to move 4 children to a place she had never seen and knew nothing about.
Very quickly the Nassau Coliseum became our second home; in fact, they should have just delivered our mail to section 224 row C, seats 1 thru 4. It truly felt like a home not because we were there so often, but because of the people who came into the building.
Whether it was an usher, a boisterous Hofstra student, a landscaper, a powerful lawyer, we all came together to cheer for the one professional team that has the island stitched into their emblem for the world to see (I believe I have been Jedi mind-tricked to forget the fishsticks logo fiasco, so let’s not go there). My family may have not known one thing about Long Island before we got there but we are who we are today because of Long Island.
Yes, winning championships tends to bring out the best in everybody and for a long stretch of time the Islanders won every single year, or so it seemed to a 10-year old girl who never missed a minute of Islanders action. We all have received one of those “You know you grew up in Long Island if…” joke emails, and sure enough roughly 8 of those points involved the Islanders of that era.
The Islanders are not Long Island because they won four Stanley Cups and were home to numerous Hall of Famers. They are Long Island because it was never about a corporate fan base or glitzy stars. The 2002 playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs is a perfect example. The Leafs said they were scared sitting in the locker room because the building was so loud and shaking. And who did fans cheer loudest for? Steve Webb, a fourth liner who sacrificed his body to help the team win.
Another recent magical night was when my father was asked back to coach his 1500th game. The number didn’t mean anything to my father because he was never a stats guy but a team-first guy. However, the love he and my entire family felt that night from Islander fans was beyond description. Every person in the arena gave a Great Grandfather (literally) the chance to show the young ones that the old guy still could pull off a comeback.
The Islanders are about team, hard work, family, and striving to do the best with what you have.
Let’s face it, right now there are many problems that are bigger than where a sports team will call home but there is no going back. You take the team away and a good portion of Long Island history and its future will be ripped away.
Yes, the team has struggled on the ice but look no further than the current Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins for how quickly things can turn around. They went from leaving town to hoisting Lord Stanley within a matter of years.
Who knows if Okposo, Tavares, Bailey and de Haan will become as synonymous with Long Island as Bossy, Gillies, Trottier, Potvin and Co., but I know that my nieces and nephews and many other young fans already think the world of them and hope they can put the Islanders back on the map. Let’s just pray that when they do reach those heights the map doesn’t have a picture of some other state or region. Instead, it must be a map of the only place the Islanders should call home.
Long Island.
Comments.
69 Responses to WHY THE ISLANDERS MUST STAY
By Janice Arbour, daughter of The Coach
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I loved that series with the Maple Leafs despite the outcome. I ran up and down my dorm hallway cheering with the one or two other Islander fans in my hall (I went to school in Ulster). It was heartbreaking to see them lose, but watching Eric Cairns put a beating to Shane Corson’s face elicited such cheers of excitement for us.
Well said by Ms. Arbour!
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MSA says:
We could have used some more people at the pre-season Devils/Tavares debut.
I assure you Charles was watching attendance here as much as he was in KC…
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Alex says:
Amen!
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kabbage says:
I like that!
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WM says:
Born in ’67, fan since ’72 and have lived outside NY since ’96 — and I’d be crushed if the Isles left Long Island.
Well said, Janice! -
Hock says:
Yes, I remember the Cairns fight as well. I was watching that game in the living room with my girlfriend and when I jumped out of my chair when that fight kicked off (first with Bates and Tucker), she looked at me in a whole different light…..a quiet guy, but with a huge passion not just for hockey, but for my beloved Islanders.
Thanks to Ms. Arbour for a healtfelt story. This Lighthouse project HAS to be ironed out. Let’s get the issues on the table and start working through the list, item by item…….simple as that. I don;t even know where it all stands after that nightmare of a meeting. Compromise will be necessary, but let’s get it done!!!!! As long as this hangs over us fans, we won’t be able to enjoy this season. And in my opinion, this can be a very enjoyable year ahead.
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TOdd says:
Great piece Janice. You have no idea what your father and Mr. Torrey have meant to me over the years. They are my idols, even though I missed their greatest years (became a hockey fan in 89) Please ask your father to do us all a favor. Please help get Butchie the head coaching job. Butchie learned so much from Al and Bill. So why is he in the tv booth and Gordon, who never won anything as a player or head coach, leading this team? I’m sorry but I’d rather trust a guy who learned from the best, and has 8 pro championships as a player and head coach. Please help Janice!
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Pete M says:
This letter should be required reading for every person that has a say in the Lighthouse project approval process.
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Islander86 says:
Great piece Janice.
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beatlebailey says:
what a great night number 1500 was. That was the best game i had been to since the Bates penalty shot game. Get this lighthouse approved already we have enough to worry about on the ice without this real estate nonesense!!
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Strummer's Army says:
Hi Janice, we all agree with you 100% in that LI and even Nassau Co. is where the Islanders should be. Everyone at this point is so frustrated and confused that something that should have been a slam dunk (Lighthouse) has been stalled without any valid reasons. Hopefully it will come to pass and Coach Arbour will be back on opening night of the new NVMC and Lighthouse.
I had the great fortune of growing up having my teams in the hands of two of the greatest coaches of all time. Men who were pure class. Growing up and having Al Arbour and Don Shula in charge of your teams was a wonderful experience.
As a Florida resident I was lucky enough to speak to your Dad at a Isles/Lightnig game. Florida is proud to have him as a resident!
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LIMBAUGH2012 says:
Maybe Ms. Arbour should mail it to the County Office’s….
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j says:
where was this speech at the lighthouse hearing?
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hockeytime says:
Awesome! LET’S GO ISLANDERS!!!
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figgy says:
Absolutely perfect!
We’re all Islanders. -
Jon Mac says:
Amazing! This need to be sent to Charles Wang and Ms. Murrary.
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Eric Nelson says:
Makes me want to put on my Webb and Lapointe jerseys and scare the Leafs again…oh wait…no one is scared of the Leafs anymore, not even the Islanders.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write what the Isles meant to you Janice. Your family will always be in the NVMC in spirit let alone your father’s banner.
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Matt says:
what a great read. we can only hope that the team gets back back to winning and Mr. Wang gets his project. long island needs the Islanders and the Islanders need Long Island.
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Paul in the 'Cuse says:
CB Another perfect example why IPB is THE place for all things Islanders. Nowhere else would you find such a great piece. Thank you Janice for heartfelt thoughts. Tell your dad we all send him our best.
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Tony F. says:
Awesome article, thank you Ms. Arbour and thanks Chris for keeping IPB going. I just hope Jim Baumbach doesn’t see it and write another snarky article for sh**day.
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islesfan999 says:
BUILD THE LIGHTHOUSE!
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Isles Fan in Toronto says:
Islanders fan since 1978 in Toronto. The isles always has a special place in my heart. I don’t know why, but it must be magic. Let’s keep the Isles in Long Island.
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I'm In A NY (Brooklyn) State Of Mind says:
BROOKLYN!
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JD (e_godard) says:
Thank you Janice, its hard to keep focus with all the drama surrounding this project. Alot of us are still trying to stay optimistic and hopeful for the future. Glad to hear you and your family are still with us.
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Staten Islander says:
I just hope cooler heads prevail. The story and responses on Newsday yesterday were depressing
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art says:
I happen to spend alot of time in the city that Al Arbour lives in Florida. He is extremely well respected and well known as the fine gentleman he has always been.
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ray since '74 says:
I have been a fan since 1974 and I couldn’t agree more. From that first night in ’74 when Bob Nystrom capped a three goal comeback in the 3rd peroid to transform a new Long Islander (I moved from Manhattan) from, of all things, a Flyer fan to a 35 year Islander die hard, this team has alsways been about the people. I love NVMC, it is my house and always will be. I saw my first concert there and I became a lifelong fan of my team there.
long live the NY “Long” Islanders!
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Blizzard says: …..this brought a tear to my eye. I can not fathom not having the Islanders around. We all know that the fanbase is here. If they moved out of the area what the hell would they do with the banners? The people scuttling this project will pay for their ineptitude if we lose this team.
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JPinVA says:
Thanks for sharing that Ms Arbour. We all owe your dad, and your whole family a great debt of gratitude. Maybe we can have Nassau officially renamed to Arbour County… and a good portion of the tax revenue sent to your mom and dad so they can buy the team.
Other than that, there is no way the Islanders will become a profitable stand alone entity at the NVMC. They never were, and they never will be. That has already been conceded by Mr Wang, and every owner before him.
The franchise needs to stop being held hostage for the ransom of a real estate development. They need to be divorced.
It’s just too bad the economy may not allow somebody to step in and put the team in a venue that will actually make them operate in the black. Add that to an NHL that would rather have a Spano as an owner than a man who loves the sport and wants to put it where it belongs.
PLEASE, SOMEBODY BUY THE ISLANDERS AND MOVE THEM to KINGS, QUEENS, SUFFOLK or a place with a LIRR stop in NASSAU.
PLEASE!!!
I’ll even chip in my life savings… you’ll only need $200M more. -
Rich says:
Janice, well written and perfectly put!
CB, you know how to push buttons, sometimes even ours. And because of that, you really keep this site interesting and us fanatics well informed. -
Bri on LI says:
Amen, Blizzard. I have been having an up and down day at work, and to read this really pulled my heartstrings to the limit. I’ve said it before, my daughter is a third generation Isles fan, and I want nothing more than to know that future generations will share in the joy of rooting for a grassroots team like the islanders. This is from the destruction of another piece of New York history:
Until the first blow fell, no one was convinced that Penn
Station really would be demolished, or that New York
would permit this monumental act of vandalism against
one of the largest and finest landmarks of its age of Roman
elegance.Its destruction left a deep and lasting wound in the
architectural consciousness of the city. A famous
photograph of a smashed caryatid in the landfill of the
New Jersey Meadowlands struck a guilty chord.How will we feel when the Islanders pack up and leave, and Coliseum is laid to waste, and the empty expanse of the parking lot remains an eyesore and memory of the glory days long past. The Island won’t be the same without the OUR Islanders. Come on Kate, get ‘er done.
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And a big thank you to Ms. Arbour for a tribute from a true fan.
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Rick says:
Great stuff…hopefully the ‘powers that be’, Charles Wang included, will read what Ms. Arbour wrote & ‘get it’.
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Wow, great article CB! Ms Arbour, thank you for a great letter. Your Dad was one of the best coaches ever, in the world of sports. He could not have reached this level of excellence without the support of your Mom and you kids. Please, give our best to your parents! Ms. Arbour, you and your sisters and brothers take a bow for supporting your Mom and Dad and us Islander Fans.
Thank you!
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So lets get this straight, no money from taxpayers, the creation of hundreds of jobs and the TOH does not want to approve this? would prefer losing a team embedded in history and works hard generating money for charities on Long island. This is such a no brainer! Either way I will follow this team and they will always be the Islanders to me. Katie Murray and the rest of the Republican party could never elimante the wonderful memories I had growing up on Long Island watching this team dowminate the NHL. So at this point it just does not matter anymore. This just reiterates and certifies my decision to leave Long Island, no leadership and no future.
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nystrom23 says:
2 greatest islander memories…david volek and shawn bates beating cujo..the coliesum the night he scored that goal has never been the same…this project has to get done in some shape or form..the people who are against this need to stop repressing growth and embrace it
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Vlad from Brooklyn says:
Powerful!
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Sec. 215 says:
Thank you Janice.
Tried to get this going last night at the game (prolly too much space between myself and the next fan), but let’s give it a shot at the opener: “Let’s STAY Islanders!!!”
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jim says:
Isles are a distant memory. I do not believe after all they have been trough that they will survive here on Long Island. As much as I hate to see them leave I think it is best to start anew……
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Anthony says:
wow, that actually made me cry!! Great read!!
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Chummlee says:
Thank you, Ms. Arbour, thank you. Not just for the eloquent piece you wrote for us, but for being one of us. Rarely if ever are we the fans provided with the sense of what the family of a coach or player truly feel about an organization. Despite all the turmoil and tumult of the last few decades, I can never stop bleeding orange and blue, thanks in large part to what your father help create here. There is only one team that I have been a life long fan of and that is my hometown Islanders.
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StevieL says:
Great piece Ms. Arbour! It needs to be on the editorial page of “NewsRagDay”
As long as their is a Long Island , Al Arbour and the Dynasty team will live on!We will never forget them and the joy they brought us! Heck , I still have a soft spot for the team of my youth! John Brophy and the Long Island Ducks!! Also nothing but a distant memory!! God forbid the Isles diappear!! -
ed says:
Please get coach Arbour to write a book on his coaching life. I feel like there is still so much to be learned from this great man
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a REAL hockey fan says:
WOW that was a powerfull article and should be REQUIRED READING for anyone involved in the lighhouse project! It should be on page 1,2,3 of Newsday as well (but no 1 read thats rag tag junk anyway)
The 2002 series against Toronto was a UNBELIEVABLE series. (though it was a lsing series) that series was unbelivable and emotional and passionate, (scoring, hitting, fighting) 1 of the last great NHL playoff series. The Cairns beatdown is in Isle history 4 ever, that was great!! – The Coliseum was ROCKING!!!
Cmon guys/gals, get your head out of the sand + lets get the project done for all of Long Island!!!
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dose says:
“The Islanders are about team, hard work, family, and striving to do the best with what you have.”
Ms. Arbour, this says it all. Whatever happens now, those of us who shared in all those great moments know what they meant, and mean. Regards to your Dad and Mom. And to you young lady.
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and to you CB, you are so right on.
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Dominic DiDonna says:
Fantastic ! That was definateley from the heart and an essential read not only for us tride and true but all Long Islanders.
I recently got a letter in the mail asking for a $9 donation to Santino and Murray’s campaign(anyone else get this?). Obviously I have no intention of sending in a donation but I will however send the envelope back with a copy of this blog by Janice, amongst a few other comments.
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Travelchic59 says:
What a nice article and very touching. As someone else posted, it brought tears to my eyes also. I, along with everyone else, hope that our Islanders stay right where they belong – on Long Island.
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Eric Leventhal says:
Unbelievable piece. Thank you so much for writing it.
Unfortunately, and perhaps I’m just cynical, but I see the Islanders in Brooklyn. Either way, they’re still sort of on Long Island. Not trying to stir anything up, just saying we would still geographically be on Long Island, regardless of political boundaries.
Thank you again for making us native Long Islanders feel like we’re not so crazy after all for loving this team.
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I support Let’s Stay Islanders wholeheartedly!!!
That is all. Apologize for the repeat post.
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UIF says:
Very well said!
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Janice,
I don’t know if I can add anymore to what the above said. While I became a fan during your dad’s second stint, I will forever remember those seasons.
Your story gave me chills. Great. I guess those bloodlines are full of talent.
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Isles Fan in Ulster County says:
You know what’s fun? Going to youtube to relive some highlights from that Toronto series and listening to just how loud the crowd gets when Corson hits the ice.
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What a wonderful article! Thank you, Janice. The 1500 game was amazing and I can honestly say I had not been as excited at a game since 02. The most amazing part was the confidence. There we were, losing going into the 3rd, and still we just KNEW we were going to win. I didnt doubt it for a moment. What a fantastic night!
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Spud 31 says:
Thank you, Janice!
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Potvin5 says:
Not much I can add either. Chris you continue to amaze me with your creative angles at covering this team. Who else would have thought of Coach Arbor’s daughter?! Thanks to Janice for taking the time to share some personal memories.
I was at that game vs. the Leafs (#6 I believe). From the moment we entered NVMC the place was simply electric. Told a buddy I was with that this must have been how it was during the cup runs. People are remembering the fights (Bates/Tucker, Cairns/Corson and Cummings/Domi), but my favorite memory was a crushing hit that Webb threw on Tucker. He came flying across the ice to hit him so hard that I swear Tucker was perpendicular to the surface when he hit the boards. Still don’t know how he didn’t get called for charging or how Tucker got the hell up! Maybe the refs knew Tucker had it coming with that cheap hit on Peca. -
Isles fan Ken says:
Great piece Janice, it gave me the chills. How right you are, thank you.
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Irish Isle says:
AMEN!
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Jim B says:
In all honesty, there may be wonderful history at the Coliseum, but in the long run Brooklyn may be an excellent relocation.
2 Reasons-
1)Like the Islanders Brooklyn is in a major rebuild and things look very positive in the area.
2) MASS TRANSPORTATION, the stadium is a minute walk from the underground Flatbush Avenue Station which is also being completely renovated. (NOW PEOPLE WILL NOT BE AFRAID TO DRINK AND DRIVE, YOU CAN ENJOY THE GAME) Think of all the Corporate seats you can sell in Brooklyn.
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isle5 says:
Well said. You are one of us. Thank You Janice.
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Dan says:
Great article. I propose that we send this to the Kansas City Star and try to get them to publish it. I know they probably won’t but I think that we must try to show in any way we can how important this hockey team is to Long Island.
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Dan H says:
Janice is ALWAYS right!!! Someone make sure this gets into the right hands. I haven’t taken 15 years of abuse from Ranger fans to have my Isles leave right as the gettin’ is looking good.
The drive for 5 continues…..
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Michele Moore says:
Well said Janice! This from a fried who knows you don’t like to use your name. Brought tears to my eyes.
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Glenn Adamo says:
Janice…stated like a true blue blooded Islanders fan and family member…your family and class is what made the Islanders the class of the NHL…well said!
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tim rap says:
bravo Janice! from the heart, it writes itself!
Powerful Stuff!!! Sooner or later we will know for sure!