New York Islanders individual game tickets went on sale Tuesday night, Sept. 14 for the first half of the 2010-11 season, kick-starting autumn business for the National Hockey League club. Fans snaked out the door of the Islanders Team Store and all around the Broadway Mall in Hicksville for two hours before the sale even began.

Trent Hunter signed autographs at the Islanders Team Store in Massapequa for an exclusive ticket sale.

During the first hour of the exclusive four-hour sale, Islanders forward Trent Hunter signed autographs and took pictures with fans on their way into the store. Anthony Galanoudis of Farmingdale, NY was one of the many fans who waited in line to meet his favorite player.

“Trent Hunter is my favorite player on the Islanders, so I came to meet him and get some tickets for the year,” Galanoudis said. “I’m excited to be here.”

For those four hours on Tuesday night, fans flooded the Store as it became a one-stop shop for the biggest Islanders fans. Murray from Bellmore turned the evening into a night of birthday present shopping.

“I’m picking up tickets for opening night hopefully and buying some birthday presents for my grandson,” said the Nassau County resident. “I am very excited to see Trent and have him sign some things for my grandson’s birthday. I wish I could have brought him, but then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

Even after Hunter had to leave, the only thing that kept fans from buying more tickets was the closing of the mall. Those four hours were simply not enough as hundreds more came to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the early morning hours of Wed. Sept. 15. Single game tickets simultaneously went on sale at the Nassau Coliseum Box Office, Islanders Team Stores in Hicksville and Massapequa and all Ticketmaster outlets at 10 a.m., but lines were forming as early as 7 a.m. The high impact of the night before continued as fans scoured all avenues for tickets throughout the day.

The excitement around this year’s Islanders team is evident in the initial surge of ticket sales for the first half of the year. Match-ups against Atlantic Division rivals like the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, as well as a Columbus Day battle with the New York Rangers, highlight the first couple months of action at the Coliseum.

The Islanders will open the 2010-11 season on Saturday, Oct. 9 at home against the Dallas Stars, with the opening face-off set for 7 p.m.

Click here to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster online.

The Islanders team stores are located in Hicksville at the Broadway Mall on Route 107 and in Massapequa at the Sunrise Mall. For directions or information about the team store, contact the Islanders front office at (516) 501-6700 or e-mail customerservice@newyorkislanders.com.