NY Islanders Visit South Salem Elementary School

Don't blame students and staff at if they have Isles fever.

On Thursday, two players from the New York Islanders visited South Salem Elementary School. And on Saturday, fifth graders from Salem sang the National Anthem on the ice at Nassau Coliseum before the Isles took on the Panters. 

That kind of reciprocity generated appreciation on and off the ice.

This much was evident at Salem on Thursday when Islanders Mike Mottau, a 32-year-old defenseman, and Michael Grabner, a 23-year-old forward, spent the morning in the school gymnasium speaking with students about the importance of education and hard work. The gym was decorated with student-created posters welcoming the Islanders.

"It's the first time we've had professional athletes in the school," said Principal Christopher Shields, who was decked in Islanders colors – orange-hued pants and a pressed blue oxford shirt.

As Shields explained, the school had submitted an essay on the school's program, "Salem Stars SHINE" (Sensitivity, Helpfulness, Integrity, Neighborly, Excellence) for the Islanders School Day contest. 

The Islanders selected the contest because "they liked the theme of team work," Shields said. 

After talking about the journey of a professional hockey player, and answering questions from the kids, the Islanders held an autograph session, signing pictures and even shirts. 

"It was really great," said Noah Seiden, a fifth grader. "Now I want to be a great athlete. I want to play football in high school."

The athletes, too, seemed to enjoy themselves.

"I like what the kids did with the gym," Grabner said. "They put a lot of effort into it. It's great to come here and feel welcome. I hope all the kids had fun and learned something."

Mottau shared that sentiment. "The Salem community did a fantastic job decorating the gym," he said. "The kids were well-prepared with great questions and were well-behaved. It was one of the best experiences I've had at a school visit in a long time."

On Saturday night, Salem fifth graders reunited with the athletes when the students sang the National Anthem before the Islanders and fans alike.

"If the players hadn't gone to visit those kids at the school, sure they would have heard them on the ice and appreciated it," said the Islanders' Community Relations Manager, Ann Rina. "But having met them just days before and having that personal connection with them meant that much more." 

The Panthers won Saturday's game 4-1. But for Salem fifth graders, it was a night to remember. 

To see a video of the fifth graders performing the National Anthem at Nassau Coliseum, click here.