EAST MEADOW, NY — Back on Nov. 15, Matt Moulson lent a helping hand during the New York Islanders ‘Try Hockey For Free’ Session at Northwell Ice Center.
Related: Matt Moulson Lends Helping Hand at Islanders ‘Try Hockey For Free’ Session
Moulson, an 11-year NHL veteran, played parts of five seasons with the Islanders (2009-2014) and was a fan favorite throughout his tenure, donning No. 26.
The Hockey News caught up with Moulson for an exclusive interview about his time on the island, starting with his favorite memory.
Moulson had a hard time picking just one.
“My whole Islanders career?” Moulson laughed as the wheels started to turn.
“I think coming out to that first playoff game at the Coliseum is something that you’ll never forget.”
Making the playoffs was something that the Islanders struggled to do during Moulson’s tenure. After a five-year absence from the NHL’s biggest stage, the Islanders punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2013 after finishing fourth in the Metropolitan Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Facing the No. 1 seed Pittsburgh Penguins was no easy task, as the Islanders fell in six games. But it provided memories for Moulson, his teammates, and a rowdy fan base that would last a lifetime.
Game Three was the first of two games at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and the crowd was deafening as the Islanders got set to hit the ice with the series knotted up at 1-1.
“Obviously, the fans were electric,” Moulson said.
With the crowd already roaring, Moulson sent the Coliseum into a frenzy as he lit the lamp just 1:43 into the game to give New York an early 1-0 lead:
Another memory that came to Moulson was just doing different community events. He recalled going to Adventure Land in Farmingdale, where the Islanders used to hold their annual Islanders Children’s Foundation Day.
Fans could take pictures, get autographs, and also enjoy their favorite rides alongside their favorite Islanders.
“Doing things like the ‘Try Hockey For Free’ event reminds me of the different community events we did and the great support we had,” Moulson said. “Sometimes I see people, they’re like, ‘Oh, I remember going to Adventureland back in 2010’, and they showed me a picture they have, and they’re like 10 years old, and now they’re like 25 years old.
“So those are always really fun moments.”
Moulson’s home rink with the Islanders was always the Nassau Coliseum, as he had the privilege of avoiding the nightmare that was Barclays Center.
As much as he loved The Barn, Moulson loves everything about UBS Arena and is a tad jealous he didn’t get a chance to skate as a player at the Islanders’ new state-of-the-art home.
“Yeah, [the Coliseum] was a special place, but if I could have played in UBS, I would have chosen that one,” Moulson said with a laugh. “It just seems like they did everything right with building it. Watching the game there is incredible. I bring my son there all the time to watch games.
“It’s just a great place to bring your family and be a fan and watch a game.”
The Islanders alumni have been more active over the last handful of years since Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin bought the team, but that didn’t mean they weren’t around when Moulson was an Islander.
The Hockey News asked Moulson which alumni he had the privilege of interacting with and learning from.
“Bobby Nystrom was always around, Trottier, guys like that…Clark Gillies. Just unbelievable people as well,” Moulson said. “They were always around and always willing to talk to you and just share some stories and share some advice. Obviously, those guys are on a pedestal for what they did, so to get any advice or anything and just listen to them talk was just an unbelievable thing being a hockey fan and a player, to talk to guys like that was unbelievable.”
Moulson decided to hang up the skates following the 2021-22 season after playing his final five seasons in the AHL, his last season as the captain of the Hershey Bears.
Following his retirement from pro hockey, Moulson went into scouting, doing so for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, but now he’s focusing heavily on being a hockey dad.
“Not scouting anymore. Full time us hockey coach, coaching my son’s team with my brother-in-law,” Moulson said. “I got some business plans on my own on the horizon, but for now, just coaching youth hockey.”
Matt Moulson, a former ninth-round pick by the Penguins, played a total of 650 games in the NHL, with 176 goals and 193 assists, playing for the Los Angeles Kings, Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and Minnesota Wild.
He scored 118 goals with 105 assists in 304 games over his Islanders career.
