Sidenote: I read on the back of a hockey card that Sam Gagner (whose Dad also played in the NHL - Dave Gagner) built a hockey rink in their backyard when Sam was growing up. He also liked hearing about John Tavares growing up.

My dad liked the stories about Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky most. I read (other) stories about the islanders from the internet to my dad during the long drive there so he’d know stuff about them. I mean what was the Islander supposed to do - go to the ref & say he was offsides and the goal shouldn’t count? So if anything my dad should be mad at the refs for that - not the Islanders. Personally I don’t think this is the New York Islanders fault, but the referee’s fault.

Prior to the trip the only thing my dad really knew about the Islanders is that they’d cheated the Philadelphia Flyers out of a Stanley Cup when they scored on an un-called off-sides. My dad thinks John Tavares looks a lot like young John Lecair. I showed him lots of pics including my album of ‘unmasked’ goalie’ hockey cards so he’d know what they looked like. My Dad knows what most of the Philly sports players look like but didn’t know a lot about the Islanders before now. We were a little early b/c of avoiding traffic & waited in the lobby. The Islanders Children’s Foundation Casino Night was at ‘The Inn at New Hyde Park’. My Dad bought a new suit, which my mom found off seeing as the last time he’d bought a suit was sometime b4 the Flyers won their first Stanley cup. I’ll fast forward over the rest of the road trip (for now). It was a good thing I didn’t go w/ a dress b/c it’s hard enough helping my dad w/ his wheelchair wearing 5” heels at hockey games, so i’m not sure a dress would have made it easier. We left in the morning and stopped at my brother’s in North NJ 2 have lunch w/ my sister-in-law, Julie before heading the rest of the way 2 the island.ĭespite looking 4 my fave little black dress for days, I never found it so I wore black pants w/ a cute red cut-out back blouse. It was on a weekday, & I knew traffic on the jersey t-pike would make 4 a long road trip. . My Dad said he’d drive me out there if I bought the tickets. They said that it’d be OK as long as I got the ‘graphs during the VIP pre-party. Prior to purchasing tickets for the casino night, I called to see if it was OK if 2 bring theGoalieStick to the event. My Dad and I went 2 the first New York Islanders Children’s Foundation Casino Night where all of the Islanders goalies added their ‘graphs to Islanders Children’s Foundation Casino Night

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