Miracle on Ice's Ken Morrow will always have second home in Northport, LI
Share this @internewscast.com

One day, Islanders legend and Miracle on Ice team member Ken Morrow was enjoying a leisurely drive in Huntington Village when he was unexpectedly pulled over by a couple of police officers.

“When they came up, I didn’t know why. I didn’t think I’d been speeding or anything,” Morrow told The Post.

“Their first words to me were, ‘I thought that was the Stanley Cup in the back of your car.’ With their lights flashing, they stood at my back window, examining the Stanley Cup and reading the names,” he recalled.


Former New York Islanders Bobby Nystrom (L), Ken Morrow (C), and Butch Goring are honored before a game between the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres on April 4, 2015 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
Ken Morrow (center) is flanked by fellow former Islanders Bobby Nystrom (left) and Butch Goring while being honored before an Islanders’ 2015 game at Nassau Coliseum. NHLI via Getty Images

This incident became one of the many unforgettable moments for longtime Northport resident Morrow, who claimed Lord Stanley’s trophy four consecutive times with the Isles — the first shortly after triumphing over the USSR powerhouse in Lake Placid.

In the Michigan native’s words, it didn’t take long to become a bona fide everyday Long Islander.

“You were just part of the local community, and you didn’t get mobbed or anything like that,” said Morrow, who now calls Kansas City home as director of pro scouting in the Islanders organization.

Still, the defenseman who fell in love with local beaches and drives on the scenic North Shore would “get a couple of people that would come up and knock on the door” occasionally.

“I remember one time, we had a school bus driver pull in our driveway, and we were trying to figure out what the heck was going on until he came up to the door,” he recalled.

“I struck up a lot of conversations with people. It certainly didn’t bother me at all that people wanted to do that.”

Now, nearly 45 years to that fateful day of May 24, 1980, when Morrow and the team celebrated their first Cup win in overtime of Game 6 against the Flyers, he remembers it all like it was yesterday.


 Jim Craig #30 and Ken Morrow #3 of the United States Hockey team celebrates after they defeated the Soviet Union during a metal round game of the Winter Olympics February 22, 1980 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York.
Ken Morrow and Jim Craig celebrates after Team USA defeated

the Soviet Union at the 1980 Olympic Center in Lake Placid,

famously now known as the “Miracle on Ice.” Getty Images

“When Bobby Nystrom scored, I think the feeling was relief as much as it was joy,” Morrow said, adding that even climbing stairs became challenging when the Stanley Cup Final rolled around.

The Olympic gold medalist, now 68, returned to the island two summers ago and recounted his days on top of the world in his memoir, “Ken Morrow: Miracle Gold, Four Stanley Cups, and a Lifetime of Islanders Hockey,” co-written by sportswriter Allan Kreda.

From gold to silver

It was a blur when he arrived in Nassau County just weeks after the greatest hockey game ever played.

Morrow and his family first stayed in a Holiday Inn on Old Country Road near the beloved Nassau Coliseum, but they didn’t catch much of an authentic glimpse of the island he adores at first.

What he did see, however, were fans salivating for their first chance to win it all in the spring of 1980.

“You had a lot of interactions with the fans, which was a really great thing.”

His playing days were when spectators were much more accessible, as players parked outside the arena — right by pregame festivities that Morrow distinctly holds dear.

“The tailgating is something I’ll always remember — probably unique to Long Island. The people were out there tailgating hours before games,” he said, adding it was the first time he ever saw the grills going for hockey games and fans escorting players toward the door.

Leaving after a victory, when cars would blare a honk to the tune of “Let’s go Islanders!” is also something Morrow cherishes deep down.

“I probably did it, too, at some point,” No. 6 said with a laugh.

Rocking the barn

The real magic, however, came inside the Uniondale walls that shook with the passion of thousands who showed up every spring to watch their Isles vie for another title in the early 1980s.

“The roar,” Morrow, who still gets standing ovations at games, recalled, “that’s a memory that will stay with me. You could hear it through the walls of the locker room. It just gave you chills to walk out.”

Rather than looking back at the glory days that well predate state-of-the-art UBS Arena, he’s enthusiastic about what the team has done since — especially when the old barn rocked at dynasty-level decibels.

Morrow distinctly recalls the shaking that followed the Shawn Bates penalty shot of 2002 and the Isles’ conference final run nearly two decades later in 2021.

“There’s something about the old barn, and there have been some great moments in the history of the New York Islanders — especially in the playoffs,” Morrow said.

“It doesn’t take much to bring that out in our fans today.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Bryan Kohberger's former professor, fellow students were alarmed by his behavior before murders, docs reveal

Documents Reveal Concerns Raised by Bryan Kohberger’s Former Professor and Fellow Students Prior to Murders

(NewsNation) – A former professor of Bryan Kohberger told investigators that the…
Florida executes man for 1982 murder of insurance office worker abducted from office

Florida Carries Out Execution for 1982 Murder of Insurance Office Employee Abducted from Workplace

Florida on Tuesday put to death a man convicted of abducting a…
Judge dismisses part of lawsuit over ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration detention center

Judge Partially Dismisses Lawsuit Concerning ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Facility

A federal judge in Miami, overseeing a case concerning the legal rights…
Court blocks Idaho police from releasing more murder victim bedroom footage and materials

Idaho Court Restricts Police from Releasing Additional Footage and Materials from Murder Victim’s Bedroom

The mother of one of the four University of Idaho murder victims…
Appeals court blocks New Mexico's 7-day waiting period for gun purchases, saying it violates 2nd Amendment

Appeals Court Halts Enforcement of New Mexico’s 7-Day Gun Purchase Waiting Period, Citing 2nd Amendment Concerns

A federal appeals court has paused New Mexico’s seven-day waiting period for…
Man in dark shirt at court hearing.

Emotional Confrontation: Daughter Faces ‘Monster’ Dad After Attempted Killing – ‘You Smiled While Choking Me’

A DAUGHTER emotionally confronted her father in court after he was charged…
Photo of a baby wearing a blue shirt.

Police Uncover Video Collection in Search for Missing Emmanuel Haro – Even as Mother Claims ‘No Cameras’ Were Present

INVESTIGATORS looking into the alleged kidnapping of a baby boy are sifting…
'I already sent goodbye texts'

“Sending Farewell Messages”

A Condor Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing in Italy…
US envoy nears Lebanon-Israel ceasefire that would disarm Hezbollah terror group

US Envoy Approaches Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Agreement to Disarm Hezbollah

Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy to Lebanon, announced on Monday that…
Jacksonville family seeks help to find missing mom Kayla Bailey

Jacksonville Family Appeals for Assistance in Locating Missing Mother, Kayla Bailey

A Jacksonville family is seeking help in finding Kayla Bailey, a mother…
Bryan Kohberger flexed like 'American Psycho' and spent Christmas night reading about serial killers

Bryan Kohberger Displayed ‘American Psycho’ Traits, Spent Christmas Night Studying Serial Killers

As digital forensics experts analyzed the cellphone of Bryan Kohberger, the 30-year-old…

U.S. Appeals Court Halts New Mexico’s 7-Day Gun Purchase Waiting Period

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A panel of federal appellate judges determined…