Dominick Critelli returned to UBS Arena on Saturday night to play the national anthem on his saxophone for the New York Islanders home opener.
The 105-year-old World War II Army veteran, a Floral Park resident, was honored as the game’s veteran and received a jersey bearing the number 105 from Islanders alum Butch Goring. His performance united fans of the Islanders and the visiting New Jersey Devils, drawing thunderous applause from the Elmont crowd.
“What this country has done for me, no other country in the world could do — and I mean that,” Critelli told The Post.
“I love the USA, and I wouldn’t change it,” he said.
This encore came after his December appearance at the same venue, where his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” during an Islanders-Rangers matchup went viral and earned rave reviews from rival fans. Since that performance around Christmas 2025, his life story has reached a global audience.
Born in Calabria, Italy, in 1921, Critelli arrived in America at age 8 and fell in love with music at 13. He recalled being captivated by the Statue of Liberty while sailing to Ellis Island, and expressed gratitude that he was not “stuck” with Mussolini on the wrong side of history.
An NYU-trained musician before the war, he brought his saxophone overseas and became a favorite at troop dances and VIP speeches while deployed in Europe. But his most memorable performance came toward the war’s end, when he played on top of a tank for thousands of newly liberated civilians in the Netherlands.
“I’ll tell you, those people are very thankful to us for what we did for them,” Critelli said.
His wartime service was extensive and decorated. As a flight mechanic, he survived the Normandy landings at Utah Beach. He later flew 14 perilous supply and medicine drops behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium’s Ardennes Forest.
“We saved a lot of lives,” said Critelli, who received the Air Medal and three Bronze Stars. A close friend and ranking officer urged him to re-enlist for another four years with a promised promotion to officer, but Critelli chose to come home to his family instead.
French President Emmanuel Macron knighted him in 2024 for his role in liberating France from Nazi occupation.
After the war, Critelli worked as a teacher and built houses, continuing to perform his jazz specialties for troops and other audiences stateside. Even a recent leg injury requiring physical therapy has not slowed him down — he performed at the facility in September while using a temporary walker.
“I’ll be alright,” Critelli said, attributing his longevity partly to a regular glass of red wine.
His postwar performances have evolved into educational missions. Schools now regularly invite him to speak and play for high school students.
“Every day people call me — ‘will you please talk to my kids?'” Critelli said, adding he “could never say no to kids.”
“I talk about the freedom of speech, and the kids come over with papers and pencils, and they start writing — they’re listening,” he said. “Then I’ll go through the other freedoms we have here. They clap and have a good time.”
He typically opens these sessions with a tune to engage the students.
Critelli still keeps his wartime saxophone at his home near Belmont Park, with sheet music for “The Star Spangled Banner” beside his bed. His appearances at UBS Arena have brought him a taste of stardom that he clearly relishes, particularly his own rehearsal room at the arena “with my name on the door in brass.”
Yet he frames his public presence in humbler terms.
“The people left behind — they couldn’t talk the way I do, couldn’t do what I do,” he said.
Critelli’s December debut at UBS Arena came during an Islanders-Rangers game, where his saxophone rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” thrilled fans of both teams and launched him to viral fame.
Critelli is scheduled to continue his school speaking engagements across Long Island.