New York Islanders fans were fired up for Thursday night’s game, mostly because they wanted to let John Tavares know how they felt about him.
Tavares made his return to Nassau Coliseum for the first time as an opponent to face his former team. The 28-year-old Mississauga native signed a 7-year, $77 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency last summer after spending the previous nine seasons with the Isles, the team that took him No. 1 overall in 2009.
Fans booed Tavares, threw fake snakes at him, and tossed jerseys at him.
Needless to say, @NYIslanders' fans are not pleased to see John Tavares. pic.twitter.com/cmQTexdX1b
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) February 28, 2019
John Tavares gets plastic snakes thrown at him in his return to New York pic.twitter.com/HKKHVskZ79
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 28, 2019
Some angry Isles fans even burned his jersey.
An old John Tavares jersey finds its way into a fire. #Isles pic.twitter.com/s3CT5bfOtR
— Newsday Sports (@NewsdaySports) February 28, 2019
It's no holds barred at the Collisuem tonight @spittinchiclets pic.twitter.com/VGadV5xHJH
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 28, 2019
The anger from Islanders fans shows just how good of a player Tavares is and how much it hurt for him to sign elsewhere. He’s lived up to his billing so far with 68 points in 63 games.
