Howie Rose thanks Islanders fans in video message

At Sunday’s home opener at Barclays Center, Howie Rose did something that his former booth partner Butch Goring guessed he had not done in a very, very long time - take in an Islanders game as a fan.

Rose stepped aside as the team’s play-by-play announcer in May, but he was in attendance at the Islanders’ 3-2 overtime win over Anaheim, cheering, hanging out in the stands and getting some face-to-face time with the folks that are used to hearing him narrate the games on their TVs.

A day later, Howie returned the favor by posting a selfie video message via the Islanders Twitter feed, thanking the fans for 21 years of memories. Never pictured Howie as a selfie guy, but overwhelming emotion does things to you.

Finding a replacement for an iconic and excellent voice was no easy task. But so far, new announcer Brendan Burke has been more than up for the job and relishing every minute from the sounds of it - even the #IslesTwitter madness. That’s how you know he’s a keeper.