Junior Islanders, Long Island Gulls holding matches to benefit coach Mike Marcou
Mike Marcou has always been there for his players. So now the PAL Junior Islanders want to be there for their ailing coach.
The Junior Islanders, along with the Long Island Gulls, are hosting a hockey charity event on Wednesday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. It will benefit the American Cancer Society and Hockey Fights Cancer as well as Marcou, the head coach of the Junior Islanders’ National Collegiate Development Conference squad who is battling cancer.
"Mike is this calming influence on all these boys," said Andy Rothstein, a member of the Junior Islanders’ board of directors. "He has the pedigree, he played all the way up to the American Hockey League. It’s not just about the game to Mike, it’s about developing these young men into good people. When this happened, everybody jumped in because they know how Mike feels about his players."
The "Battle for Bragging Rights" will feature three games with tickets priced at $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12 who are wearing a hockey jersey. The NCDC game will begin at 3 p.m., followed by a U-16 game at 5:45 p.m. and a U-18 game at 8:30 p.m.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
