The crowd at UBS Arena in New York witnessed an extraordinary moment on Saturday when a 104-year-old World War II veteran took the ice before the Islanders–Rangers game on Saturday night.
Born in 1921, Critelli drew in the crowd as fans from both sides joined in, singing along to his performance.
When he held the final note, the arena broke into a spontaneous chorus of “USA!” in appreciation of his service.
Critelli acknowledged the crowd with a salute before leaving the ice.
His wartime record includes 151 days of combat duty. He survived the Battle of the Bulge and flew missions behind enemy lines to deliver vital supplies to American troops cut off from support.
Watch the clip below:
FREEDOM RINGS: 104-year-old World War II veteran Dominick Critelli, who fought at Normandy and in the Battle of the Bulge, wowed the crowd by performing the National Anthem on his saxophone at a New York Islanders game.
Critelli, a staff sergeant who immigrated to the U.S. from… pic.twitter.com/qkRUSoCY7x
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 28, 2025
According to his online biography, Critelli won a variety of prestigious medals, including the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, the American Theater Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
The biography states:
Dominick Critelli was was in the 95th Infantry Division, a member of the 378th Infantry Regiment in an Artillery Aviation Unit. It was his job to keep his Unit’s aircraft flying intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. His Unit identified and observed enemy troop formations, their supply lines, ammunition depots, and the location of enemy fortifications.
In the winter of 1944, Hitler launched his last offensive of the War. The battle would soon be known as the “Battle of the Bulge.” General Patton, with Dominick’s Artillery Aviation Unit wheeled his 3rd Army a sharp 90 degrees and raced north one hundred miles with 200,000 men and less than 250 tanks to rescue the 80,000 encircled American troops in Bastogne. General Patton’s strategy pushed the German Army east, across the Rhine.
In November 1944, Mr. Critelli was one of the brave men from the 378th Regiment to fly behind enemy lines to drop much needed supplies to isolated American troops stuck on the enemy side of a bridgehead. Over a four-day period, Dominick flew fourteen of these missions precisely dropping supplies to isolated American positions.
Several dozen bullet holes pierced the wings as he dropped the much-needed supplies and medicine next to our troops. His heroic and meritorious service earned him the Air Medal.
What an inspiring man.
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