Best and Worse Case Scenarios for the Islanders Arena Crisis

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 09: Joshua Ho-Sang (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The New York Islanders have had pretty good on-ice success but they are unsure where their home ice will be moving forward.

Fresh off of a year where they won their first playoff series in over a decade, the New York Islanders missed the playoffs in 2016-2017.

However, the root of the organization’s problems stems even further than the ice.

The Islanders have a dilemma: Where will they play their home games in the future?

The Current Situation

The current home arena of the Islanders is the Barclays Center, the arena built for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

The Barclays Center has a history of being bad for professional hockey games. The ice is not up to NHL standards and it does not compare with other NHL surfaces.

In fact, many players blame the ice’s conditions for injuring star player and Islanders captain, John Tavares at the end of last season.

The Barclays Center is big, it is dark, and for Islanders games, it’s usually empty. The Isles ranked 28th out of 30 in NHL attendance in 2017.

A certain team wearing blue sweaters already dominating the market does not help.

NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 18: John Tavares (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

New Possible Situations

The four places that have surfaced for the Islanders to move to when their lease in Barclays ends after 2018-2019 are as follows:

The first and arguably most popular option would be a brand-new facility located in Belmont Park. This means returning the Islanders to Long Island where they played from 1972-2015.

This is an interesting choice considering it is a brand new market, but mostly because it would be going into relatively uncharted territory.

However, it gives the loyal horse racing fans and locals somewhere to go in the winter. It also gives the die-hard Isles fans a modern, long-term place to watch the team.

Another option to mention would be a new facility located near Citi Field in Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York.

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This is very difficult to pull off due to costs, and it is asking a lot for ownership to potentially pay out-of-pocket.

However, it makes sense considering it barely changes the current commute fans have now.

Another option that could potentially fix the Islanders arena crisis is a return to Nassau Coliseum.

Getting league approval would be nearly impossible as it would make it one of the smallest arenas, in terms of capacity, in the NHL.

The fans would enjoy this option as it is where the team played for a long time and where they won their four Stanley Cup championships.

The formerly dilapidated arena just underwent renovations. The new renovations will re-attract the fans it once lost.

The NHL, however, does not find an Islanders return to their old stomping grounds ideal.

The last option that is circulating around is the Islanders renewing their lease with the Barclays Center.

With both sides unhappy with the current situation, it’s highly unlikely they will come to a mutual agreement.

However, if all else fails, this is the only option other than relocation, which would not benefit anyone.

Best Case Scenario

A brand new facility in Belmont Park would open a fresh new market and potentially help attract marquee free agents.

Worst Case Scenario

Staying at the Barclays Center would drive away the fans and players with expiring contracts would not want to re-sign with New York.

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These are not the only possible options the Islanders have. Ownership and the NHL have a huge say in what could and eventually will happen. However, out of all of the possibilities, these are the most suitable.

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Best and Worst Case Scenarios for the Islanders Arena Crisis

By John Carroll Jr. | Jul 23, 2017