Watching a game at Long Island Arena in the late 1960's – as The Maven was prone to do – was like being in the movie "Slapshot" – as a fan, of course.

The Long Island Ducks' home was from a time warp. There was no fan protection along the  sideboards and chicken wire not glass at the ends. The blue collar crowd was as blue as it could get and it was a ton of fun.

Unless you were a referee like Bob Giovati and someone threw a chair at you. (Other preferred object – a beer bottle.))

The Rangers Business Manager Tom Lockhart conceived Long Island Arena while still working for the Blueshirts in the late 1950's.

"The Long Island Arena  was a good idea," says The Old Scout, "because Suffolk country was growing like wild  zucchini and there was no real pro sports team nor hockey arena out there."

Rangers icon Eddie Giacomin cut his goalie's teeth at the then new arena as a member of the New York Rovers. When the Rangers pulled the Rovers, an electrician magnate named Al Baron bought the team and renamed them the Long Island Ducks.

Baron also bought an old twin-engined DC-3 that still could fly and did all he could – which was plenty – to make the Ducks a success. I'm sure it was his lovely wife Renee who had a live duck brought on the ice between periods. 

The duck was a bad pedestrian and nearly got run over by the Zamboni machine.

Which is a roundabout way of saying that my author buddy Joe Rossi has had the good sense to write a jazzy book about that zany ice palace in Commack.

It's called "The Long Island Arena – A Hockey Story And More." Starting Saturday, it will be available on Amazon.

Here are a few paragraphs about Joseph Rossi's fine work – splendidly researched and written from the heart.

The Long Island Arena was a place where the stories seem so unreal it is hard to believe they are true. It's been nearly 30 years since it was razed but the stories and memories have grown as time goes by. 

So many events took place there. The best-known tenant was the Ducks of the old Eastern Hockey League who played during the Original Six era of the NHL. Ducks' owner Baron once said of the Arena, "It's the only place where the hockey players stop to watch the fights in the stands." 

To quote former Duck forward Buzz Deschamps, "It was a rare night when there wasn't a riot in the place." 

What Every Rangers Fan Should Know About What's Going On <b>1. </b>Minus Jake (The Rake) Trouba, Chris (Stop Crying He's Gone) Kreider and D'Andre (Not Captain) Miller around, the Rangers room is as peaceful as a churchyard. Also boring!

It was old-school, hockey at its best. After seeing the movie "Slapshot," coach John Muckler said, "We could've added a few things to the movie."

My wife Shirley and I saw "Slapshot" with Buzzy and his wife. When it was over, Buzz turned to me and said, "That could've been us Ducks and the Long Island Arena."

Rossi's book remembers all those years of zany hockey stories and more. Concerts, pro wrestling, roller derby and more come to life in this superb work that neatly blends minor league hockey with rich Long Island history.

After all, what arena in the whole wide world could boast that its Zamboni driver got into a fight with a fan!

Only at the Long Island Arena in Commack. The building may be gone but tales from The Old Barn are now legendary and so much fun to read.

Suggestion from The Maven: Buy "The Long Island Arena – A Hockey Story And More." You won't regret it!