Not long before the Islanders alumni and Rangers alumni took the ice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow on Sunday, former Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey was getting ready to do something that he hadn't done in quite some time.
"I haven't skated since my career ended," said Hickey who made his return to the ice for the third annual Northwell Health Alumni Classic. "We're out here for a cause pooling everything we get together and giving it to a good cause. The results come second but at the same time it's Rangers/Islanders so you want to win."
As it turns out, the Rangers came out victorious 6-4 in front of a sellout crowd of 1,500 at the Islanders' official practice facility. But, the most important aspect of the day was that all of the net proceeds went to the Northwell Health Foundation.
A check was presented to Northwell Health in the amount of $50,000.
The Islanders and Rangers have enjoyed a storied rivalry.
They have yet to meet this season but will square off for the first time in 2023-24 on Feb. 18 when they play in the NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium.
But on Sunday, the alumni and the fans of the arch rivals came together to make for a great event for a great cause.
"It just speaks to the character of hockey in our community," said former Rangers Captain Adam Graves. "We spend so much time in the community together. It's just that underlying respect and opportunity to play a game that we all love to play regardless of your age or if you're playing in the National Hockey League or not."
The Alumni Classic was part of Islanders Alumni Weekend. On Friday night, all of the invited alumni were together for a dinner and then they all attended Saturday night's Islanders vs Panthers game at UBS Arena. 2023 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Pierre Turgeon, who still plays hockey twice a week, was among the Islanders alumni in town for the weekend and always loves playing in the alumni game.
"It's a lot of fun," said Turgeon. "At the end of the day, it's for the fans and we're having fun at the same time. We had some good memories. The Rangers were extremely good. They had a great team. I was able to see my good friend of mine that I grew up with Stephane Matteau…I was happy to see him win the Stanley Cup."
The Alumni Classic has become an event that both fan bases now have circled on their calendars.
The Islanders fans on hand were able to cheer on names like Pierre Turgeon, Thomas Hickey, Benoit Hogue, and Johnny Boychuck. Rangers fans were thrilled to see former Blueshirts like Henrik Lundquist, Adam Graves, and a couple of players who played for both teams during their careers Darius Kasparaitis and Brian Mullen.
And for one day, these two franchises that have one of the great rivalries in sports were, in reality, on the same team raising money for a worthy cause.
