"The Hockey Maven" still is a celebrity in his hometown, as evidenced by warm welcomes he received in recent visits to UBS Arena and Madison Square Garden.
But New York is not Stan Fischler’s home anymore. His primary residence is on an Israeli kibbutz called "El Rom" in the northern Golan Heights, which he called "The Jewish Montana."
"It’s 3,000 feet [in elevation], there’s cattle all around and not a hell of a lot of people," Fischler said in an interview with Newsday during a visit to the United States that will end later this month.
There is a Druze town named Buq’ata a mile or so away, the Syrian border is nearby, and members of the Israeli military are a frequent sight in the area, which has a history of geopolitical volatility.