UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Standing at ice level and facing the Islanders’ runway, Mike Artusa smiled broadly and had a handshake or a hug ready for all the familiar faces. And there was a seemingly endless supply of those.  Countless hockey fans at Nassau Coliseum have been welcomed by Artusa, who at 81 proudly wears a dark blue sweater emblazoned with an Islanders logo and does his best to maintain order and add to the fun in Section 101.  Like so much at the arena, which dates to 1972, Artusa and his fellow ushers, ticket takers and security guards are fixtures. And they revel in their roles, treating the jobs more like a family reunion than work.  “I’m here since Day 1,” Artusa said as the Islanders warmed up before a recent game. “There are so many people I’ve known through the years, coming with their families and now with their kids’ families. That’s what this place is all about and what I’ll miss most when the team moves to Brooklyn.”  Artusa, who cannot recall missing a game, is enjoying this final season as the home dates dwindle, including Tuesday’s last regular-season game against the archrival Rangers. The excitement of witnessing the Islanders’ best season since the early 1980s has been a bonus.  “They are playing great, and I feel it, too,” he said. “I watch the faces of fans during play because I have to look away from the ice. Everyone is happy.”  But like many of his co-workers, he cannot prevent wistfulness from coloring the conversation when he thinks about what next season will be like without the team nearby.  “They belong on Long Island,” said Artusa, who lives in Woodmere and volunteers as a fire department ambulance driver. “It’s hard to see the team leave. Nobody is happy.”  Artusa and his colleagues work at venues like Citi Field and Jones Beach Theater in the summer, but most clearly favor the Coliseum.  “I’m going to miss the Islanders because after 43 years, it’s my home, always has been,” Artusa said. “As long as I’m alive, I want to be here with the people. They are my family, too.”  Memories of the team’s four Stanley Cups from 1980 to ’83 help restore his happiness.  Where was he when Bob Nystrom scored in overtime in Game 6 to beat the Philadelphia Flyers for the Islanders’ first championship?  Pointing straight down. Artusa said, ”Right here!”
Ushers who work at Islanders home games are preparing for the team’s move to Barclays Center, which will be its home rink beginning next season.