- A 105-year-old World War II veteran played the anthem before the Islanders hosted the Devils
- It was an encore of his viral UBS Arena performance from last December
- Read below for the video of Dominick Critelli’s saxophone anthem
Dominick Critelli is still playing.
The 105-year-old World War II veteran performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” on his soprano saxophone Saturday night before the Islanders’ home opener against the Devils at UBS Arena. He played it seated, wearing his World War II veteran cap and a custom No. 105 Islanders jersey.
Check out the video of Critelli’s anthem:
This is the second time the Isles have handed him the anthem. Critelli first played it at UBS Arena on Dec. 27, when he was 104, before the Islanders shut out the Rangers 2-0. Fans from both sides broke into a “U-S-A” chant as he held the final note, and the clip spread well beyond hockey.
Islanders announced the encore a few hours before puck drop:
Born in 1921, Critelli came to the United States from Italy when he was 8 years old. He picked up the saxophone at 13 and never put it down.
His military record is a long one. Critelli served as an Army staff sergeant with the 378th Infantry Regiment of the 95th Infantry Division, spending 151 days in combat and surviving the Battle of the Bulge. He earned the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze stars, along with the American Theater Medal and the WWII Victory Medal.
After last season’s performance, Critelli explained who he plays the anthem for.
“I lost a lot of friends,” he said. “I’m doing this for them.”
Newsday’s Andrew Gross, who spoke with Critelli on Friday, was in the building for the encore:
A Floral Park resident, Critelli still practices for an hour every day. On Saturday night, Long Island got to hear why.
