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New York Islanders: Belmont keeps the Isles in town for good

By Nick Zaccone

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 03: A general view of the exterior of the Barclays Center prior to a game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors on November 3, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 03: A general view of the exterior of the Barclays Center prior to a game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors on November 3, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/Getty Images) /
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After months of talk, the Belmont deal keeps the New York Islanders in town for good.

Bye, Brooklyn! As of Tuesday, the New York Islanders were granted the bid to build on the Belmont Park site in Nassau County, only 20 minutes away from their previous location.

When the idea was brought up last April, it seemed like a pipe-dream. The Isles were only a season into their brand new venue, Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Brooklyn initially seemed like a good idea for the future of the franchise. Unfortunately, fans from Long Island and beyond aren’t fond of the trek to Atlantic Avenue. It was a drastic change from the easy commute to Nassau, and even though Barclays Center offered a better quality venue, the arena just isn’t made for hockey.

Barclays Center had several irritating obstructions, and the ice seemed almost crammed into the center of the arena creating an uncomfortable setting for games. Barclays and the Islanders wanted the team to leave after mutually deciding that they would make more revenue from other entertainment events, and the team would be more successful at a different location.

Because the Islanders wanted to leave, it led fans to worry before securing the bid to the new arena site Tuesday afternoon. Team owner Charles Wang never ruled out relocation. Seattle, Quebec City, and Hartford are all markets suitable for an NHL franchise. Even though the NHL has expanded, it doesn’t mean they won’t move one too. Rumor has it that the Ottawa Senators may be relocating in the future. If not granted a new venue, the Islanders may have skipped town.

Next: The key to Isles success

There have been talks of the team moving to another city for years. First the move to Barclays Center saved them, now the Belmont site saves them once again. It’s now safe to say that the Isles will be in town for good.

Looking forward, the timetable for construction is currently unknown. I’m sure fans would love to see the team return to the Coliseum until the Belmont construction is complete. However, it all depends on when ownership decides to break off its lease with Barclays Center.

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