John Tavares made his long-awaited return to Long Island on Thursday night as the Maple Leafs took on the Islanders. As expected, it wasn't a particularly friendly atmosphere for the former Islanders captain at Nassau Coliseum.
In his first game on the Island as a visiting player, Tavares was greeted by plenty of angry fans still bitter over his offseason departure. The once-beloved hero became Public Enemy No. 1 and fans found plenty of ways to take shots at Tavares both inside the building and out.
Many of those shots came via old Tavares jerseys that were modified to push the villainous narrative.
Others decided to use the old gear as fire-starters.
Even some local businesses got in on the action, making it clear that JT's business was not welcome.
Inside the arena, scores of angry fans were fired up and ready to unleash their wrath on Tavares' traitorous soul.
Once No. 91 took the ice, some fans decided that their boos wouldn't be enough and that it'd be necessary to throw things at him as well. Old jerseys and toy snakes were among the items that came flying down from the crowd.
Of course, the night wasn't completely full of hate. The Islanders gave Tavares a nice tribute video thanking him for his nine years of service during the first period. His former teammates and some fans saluted him at the conclusion of the tribute, though many other fans continued to boo through it.
If you need some context as to why Tavares' is the subject of such scorn on the Island, you can find that here.
