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Flood problems continue for New York Islanders, who are waiting for the new arena to return to Queens
Tuesday 9 October 2018 5 minutes reading time
8790: this is the 'low number of spectators who last night witnessed the home win for 4 to 0 of the New York Islanders against the most accredited San Jose Sharks.
A capitalist performance by Barzal and his companions, however, was not accompanied by the public frame that would have been reasonable to expect for a team of historical NHL teams: it is in fact the historical minimum, since the New York franchise abandoned the Queens and the Nassau Coliseum (home of the Isles since 1972), to move to Brooklykn, at the BarclaysCenter in 2015/16
The low turnout is a problem that has afflicted the Islanders for years (also due to disappointing seasons of the team) and that the property hoped to finally resolve, moving to Brooklyn where, by virtue of overly optimistic forecasts, it was hoped a new and nurtured fan-base. However, since the first meetings have emerged all the limits of the Barclays Center, arena designed and built for basketball: not optimal view, excessive distance from the public from the rink and, not least, an ice quality that, to feel the players, it's pretty poor. This new deficiency and the lack of qualification for the playoffs for two years in a row, as well as penalizing the historic Long Island fans, certainly did not contribute to the birth of the desired new fan base in Brooklyn. Islanders recorded the worst attendance of the NHL, with only 12,002 average viewers, also behind Arizona, Carolina and Florida. Ultimately, the Islander bet proved to be completely counterproductive.
The owner, Jon Ledecky, has therefore taken steps to find, in record time, an agreement with the State of New York for the construction of a new state-of-the-art 18,000-seat arena in Belmont Park, Queens, where longtime fans can finally re-embrace your team. However, the new arena will only be ready for the 2021/2022 season.
In the wait for the Islanders, for the next three years, they will play half of the home games at the Barclays Center, while for the other half they will return to the Nassau Coliseum (which as a result of the restructuring efforts of these years, reduced the capacity to only 13,500 seats): a solution that does not satisfy anyone.
In short, a really difficult and frustrating situation, first of all for a fans now tired of this continuous wanderings, waiting for the new building, will be revitalized only by the enthusiasm that good results can give. In this regard, the company is well moved, with the 'engagement of GM Lamorriello and new head coach Barry Trotz. We know that it is early to express ourselves, but from these first games the New York Islanders do not seem that team adrift that everyone expected after' goodbye to Tavares, but a solid team, even in the defensive phase.
Who knows the phenomenon Matthew Barzal and the fresh Stanley Cup winning coach, Barry Trotz, are soon able to forget the former captain and who, waiting for the return to the native land of Queens, are able to give some satisfaction to their fans.
Time will tell.
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