Staff Sergeant Dominick Critelli, a 105-year-old World War II veteran, performed the Star-Spangled Banner on saxophone at UBS Arena before a full crowd during the New York Islanders’ 2026-27 home opener. Critelli has a tradition of wearing a custom jersey with his age on the sleeve during performances; in 2025, he wore 104, and this year, he wore 105. Fans responded positively to his performance, cheering and clapping. After his performance, Critelli tipped his cap to the audience, which elicited further applause. Critelli served 151 days in combat during World War II and received several honors, including the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, the American Theater Medal, the WWII Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal for his service.
✓ AI-Debiased Article
4
Wire-neutral
provisional
✓ No loaded language, vague sourcing, or framing detected.
105-Year-Old WWII Veteran Plays National Anthem at Islanders Home Opener
Dominick Critelli, a 105-year-old World War II veteran, performed the National Anthem on saxophone at the New York Islanders' home opener. He has a tradition of wearing a jersey that displays his age during performances, and fans responded enthusiastically to his rendition.
Companies
NHL
People
Staff Sergeant Dominick Critelli
Annotating as
No note attached
on this article.
Original vs. Neutral
Original Headline
105-Year-Old WWII Vet Performs National Anthem on Saxophone at Islanders Game
Neutral Headline
105-Year-Old WWII Veteran Plays National Anthem at Islanders Home Opener