As an eighth grader, Ray Larkin went with his family to the first New York Islanders game ever. It was October 1972, at Nassau County Coliseum and Larkin went on to see hundreds more games there over the next five decades, most as a season-ticket holder.
But after all those days and nights in that cramped, spare venue, Larkin’s surroundings changed dramatically on Saturday. He and his wife, Sue Larkin, helped their beloved team usher in the next era of Islanders hockey at the smart, new UBS Arena at Belmont Park, a venue so plush and elegant that fans used to the dingy old building could wonder if they had strolled into the wrong facility.