Brooklyn Islanders

[dash]

i am STILL blown away by how easy it was for Wang to move this storied franchise when Phoenix is still sitting that crap market. just amazed at this. and utterly totally shocked.

shocked at how the NHL runs its business how it treats its fans and cares none for the integrity of the game but all for the $$. I get profit I do. but history it seems means 2 things jack and shit and jack left town back in 1995......

Frak you Gary Bettman and your Puppet Masters

If Uniondale would have ponied up $25 million, would the Isles have stayed in the Nassau Memorial Veterans Coliseum?

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Brooklyn Islanders... They should go with some sort of Rasta motif.

Dat post be requirin' some mon!!

 

[mattola]

If Uniondale would have ponied up $25 million, would the Isles have stayed in the Nassau Memorial Veterans Coliseum?

cant answer that. but what I can answer is that the NHL should have been more actively involved in making that work as they have with Pho and some other teams. this is utter bullshit to the true fans of Long Island and that teams great history. Potvin has it right even if the logo doesnt change its freaking wrong

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Is this technically considered a move though? They're still going to be the NY Islanders, right?

I'm assuming the league needs to sign off on any new facility for a team, but I don't think it would technically count as a franchise relocation.

Very similar to the Devils moving from the Meadowlands to Newark, roughly the same distance.

 

[mattola]

Very similar to the Devils moving from the Meadowlands to Newark, roughly the same distance.

I can see the point sabresfaninthesouth and same with this. I still think it affects directly the hard core Isles fans that are left. but maybe Long Island wanted them gone hard to say. but I still think this stinks

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I can see the point sabresfaninthesouth and same with this. I still think it affects directly the hard core Isles fans that are left. but maybe Long Island wanted them gone hard to say. but I still think this stinks

Not disputing the logic (or lack thereof) for moving, just that I don't think comparing it to the Phoenix situation is totally fair since one is a true re-location and the other is only 30 miles away and still in the same metro region.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

heard kelly hrudey on the radio ... sounded like a real debbie downer about the move

called Uniondale and Brooklyn 2 different worlds ... different socially and culturally ... doesnt think this will be a positive move ... that the hardcore Isles fans wont venture to brooklyn to watch the team ... when told Barclays is built over a transit station hub he said ... "oh really?" (lol)

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

For what it's worth (not much, I know), I think Wang had every right to pull the trigger on this. Never been there myself, but from everything I hear and read about NVMC, wanting a new arena sounds reasonable.

They put an initiative forward to approve funding for a new arena and the voters turned it down. The county has refused to pony up the dough any other way thus far, so Wang goes elsewhere.

That said, it doesn't sound like the league was as involved in the negotiations with the county as they should have been to try to secure a new building.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

For what it's worth (not much, I know), I think Wang had every right to pull the trigger on this. Never been there myself, but from everything I hear and read about NVMC, wanting a new arena sounds reasonable.

They put an initiative forward to approve funding for a new arena and the voters turned it down. The county has refused to pony up the dough any other way thus far, so Wang goes elsewhere.

That said, it doesn't sound like the league was as involved in the negotiations with the county as they should have been to try to secure a new building.

i agree ... in fact what took him so long ... that arena was a dump and was a huge factor in not being able to attract free agents

but i just feel this smallish new arena with poor sightlines isnt the most ideal answer for the next 25 years

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

i agree ... in fact what took him so long ... that arena was a dump and was a huge factor in not being able to attract free agents

but i just feel this smallish new arena with poor sightlines isnt the most ideal answer for the next 25 years

Where did you read about the sightlines? I'm surprised there would be issues given that it's a brand new facility. Even though they didn't have hockey in mind, most new arenas are built to be convertible, so I wouldn't have expected sightline issues.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Where did you read about the sightlines? I'm surprised there would be issues given that it's a brand new facility. Even though they didn't have hockey in mind, most new arenas are built to be convertible, so I wouldn't have expected sightline issues.

Vancouver radio guys were talking about the new building and the old building this morning and it seemed like the consensus between Jason Botchford from the Vancouver Province and Ray "franchise killer" Ferraro

... and Mirtle tweeted this:

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle
A crying shame Barclays Center isn't built properly for hockey. Sight lines a bit of a mess - ensures Isles would still get small gates

 

[jstewismybastardson]

i agree ... in fact what took him so long ... that arena was a dump and was a huge factor in not being able to attract free agents
but i just feel this smallish new arena with poor sightlines isnt the most ideal answer for the next 25 years

on that point

Isles confident Brooklyn move will attract players - NHL.com - NHL Insider

 

[dash]

Barclay's Center sounds a little like Key Arena part deux...

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Barclay's Center sounds a little like Key Arena part deux...

Key Arena ... part deux ... but brand new

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I'm very excited about this move. I believe Wang did all he could to keep the team in L.I.. It just wasn't meant to be.

As for the sightlines the Islanders won't be moving to Brooklyn until the 2015/2016 season. That's two years from now so possibly some changes could be made. We shall see. The fact Wang signed a 25 year lease means no matter what the team isn't going anywhere which is the main thing.

I know there are some die hard fans who are upset about this, but Wang really didn't have a choice.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

If Uniondale would have ponied up $25 million, would the Isles have stayed in the Nassau Memorial Veterans Coliseum?

No.

The people of Nassau County voted down a referendum for 400M that would have built a new arena for the Islanders along with a new baseball stadium for the L.I. Ducks minor league team.

 

[dash]

It's too bad isles4cups no longer posts here, I wonder how he is taking today's news...

 

[SLY]

There was another Isles fan here at one point? I forget that I came here late in the game.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

It's too bad isles4cups no longer posts here, I wonder how he is taking today's news...

isles4cups doesn't post on the Isles fansite anymore either. There a lot of disappointed die hard fans. Some won't renew their season tickets. However, for the most part people seem happy the team is staying in the area.

 

[DChero]

No new name? Brooklyn Bullies? Brooklyn Americans? Brooklanders?