For one night in Long Island, New York, the heated NHL rivalry between the Islanders and Rangers was put on ice.
In front of more than 18,000 fans Saturday with the Islanders Energy team, 104-year-old Dominic Critelli took his seat, adjusted his soprano saxophone and played one of his favorite tunes, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Critelli, a decorated Army staff sergeant who survived the World War II Battle of the Bulge, immigrated to the United States from Italy when he was 8 years old. He has been playing sax since the age of 13.
“It makes me happy,” he said.
Critelli has performed in front of large crowds before, including at UBS Arena in 2023, but he said, this performance was personal.
“I lost a lot of friends,” he said of his late brothers. “I’m doing it for them.”
Medals and mementos from Critelli’s youth adorn his home in Floral Park, New York. In their front yard, an American flag flies above a sign with the same patriotic colors. It reads, “A proud veteran lives here.”
Critelli says he practices his instrument an hour a day, and he glides from one tune to the next, including one of his favorites – “Oh, Mary”, with ease and precision.
In the arena, his mission was simple: stay sharp and pay tribute to the country he loves.
“I mean, is there a better song than ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’?” He says? “Beautiful, you put your heart into this.”
As he played, chants of “USA” echoed from the rooftops. But Critelli says he was so focused he didn’t hear it.
“Oh my God, I missed that!” He said laughing.
“I was very interested in ‘Land of the Free,'” Critelli said. “I want the kids to remember that, because it’s so important to them.”
