New York Islanders Continue to Explore Leaving Barlays Center

The New York Islanders have issues with the Barclays Center, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is aware of it.

The New York Islanders have not been thrilled with their move to the Barclays Center. The move from the Nassau Coliseum was a sad one for fans of the Islanders. The commute into Brooklyn is not an easy one for fans from Long Island.

In addition to the inconvenience of them being in Brooklyn for fans, the arena isn’t made for hockey. Many seats have obstructed views that has left fans leaving those seats vacant. In addition to many seats being poor, the ice conditions have also been frequently complained about.

According to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, the new Islanders owners are actively looking for alternative options.

"“The owners are committed to the franchise, they’re committed to New York and the great fan base that has followed the Islanders,” Bettman said to Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post. “There are some issues about playing at Barclays, it may be fundamental to the ice system. That’s not something that can be fixed in the short term.“I think, as is prudent, Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky are reviewing the situation and looking very seriously at what their options are.”"

The Islanders’ old home will be reopening after the renovations in April. However, the stadium would only be able to hold 13,000 fans for hockey. This would be the smallest capacity in the NHL, and the league likely wouldn’t want that.

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It will be interesting to see what the new owners of the Islanders decide to do. However, it does appear that a move from the Barclays Center is becoming more likely.