UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) Nearly 2 1/2 years after last playing at the Nassau Coliseum, John Tavares and the New York Islanders gave their fans something to cheer about back at their refurbished former home.

The Islanders returned to the Coliseum for a day for a preseason game against Philadelphia, but that didn't matter to fans clamoring for the team's return from Brooklyn. They showed up early Sunday morning to tailgate and participate in pregame festivities outside, including a museum truck and a virtual reality Zamboni experience, and to take pictures with the Stanley Cup.

"It's nice to be back home," said Andrew Gagnon, a student at nearby Hofstra University who arrived at 9 a.m. to tailgate. "This is where the four Cups were won. All that history is here. I saw a sign that said, `This is home, not Brooklyn.' That's how everyone feels."