'Let’s go!' UBS Arena opens to much Isles fanfare - a moment decades in the making

It’s been decades in the making – now Islanders fans have a brand-new home.
Jason Petty, of Islip, told News 12 that the opening of the new arena is a special moment in the team’s history.
“This is it. The cement that we are here to stay, and we mean business,” he said.
Other fans likened the UBS Arena’s opening to Christmas Day.
“I was at the last game at the Coliseum, and I’m at the first game here,” said Olivia Pino, of Melville. “I feel like it’s history.”
Patrick Dowd, dubbed the Islanders “Sign Guy,” could sense the excitement in the air.
“I want to walk around – feel the energy. Feel the excitement. Feel the arena,” he said.
The road to the new arena was long and a history of the process can be found here.
Though the Islanders lost 5-2, the game was a win for many fans.
Brian Heyman/News 12 Digital