OT: Islanders Moving To Brooklyn In 2015

Uman85

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Islanders Will Move To Brooklyn To Play In Barclays Center With Nets Beginning In 2015



The NHL's New York Islanders have agreed to move to Brooklyn's Barclays Center from Long Island as early as 2015, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person was not authorized to discuss the situation before an afternoon announcement and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Islanders owner Charles Wang and developer Bruce Ratner were among those scheduled to be at the news conference.

Officials in neighboring Nassau County, N.Y., have struggled for years to come up with a plan to either renovate or build a new arena to replace the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which opened in 1972. That same year, the Islanders joined the National Hockey League.
 

bbaker

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Move the Islanders to Hartford & bring back the Whalers.
 

HawkWriter

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An act of desperation on the Islanders part. The votes weren't going their way on Long Island and their current arena was a dump...but they are moving to a building that's capacity is 14,500 for a hockey game. Saw somewhere online that 27 out of the 30 teams last year averaged more than 14,500 per game...the Islanders won't even be given a chance to do that.
 

Rice Cube

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Brooklyn is sorta still part of the island, so I guess they don't have to change names :lol:
 

DewsSox79

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jay z will be getting some money out of this i suppose. :)
 

HawkWriter

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jay z will be getting some money out of this i suppose. :)

I don't think Jay z has any ownership in the Barclays Center (could be wrong). Just a real, real small ownership percentage in the Nets.

This move just shows a lack of forward thinking for the Islanders. They could be missing out on 3,000+ ticket sales a night...which will add up big time when you toss in parking, concessions, souvenirs, etc
 

Jntg4

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Not the worst move they could make, but I wouldn't want to be locked into a 14.5K stadium for 25 years
 

Uman85

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It's a win-win for both the Islanders and Nassau County. The Islanders get a brand new venue to play in and the county doesn't have to foot the bill for a new stadium that they didn't have the money to pay for.

I don't think attendance is going to be too big of a concern for right now. The Islanders haven't average more than 14.5K fans per year in 10 years. Perhaps the move to Brooklyn and the new stadium, along with a competitive hockey team will boost that, but for right now 14.5K would suit them well.
 

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It's a win-win for both the Islanders and Nassau County. The Islanders get a brand new venue to play in and the county doesn't have to foot the bill for a new stadium that they didn't have the money to pay for.

I don't think attendance is going to be too big of a concern for right now. The Islanders haven't average more than 14.5K fans per year in 10 years. Perhaps the move to Brooklyn and the new stadium, along with a competitive hockey team will boost that, but for right now 14.5K would suit them well.

Right, because all the lost revenue from people being in the neighborhood before and after games is such a big win.
 

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We're talking about a four-time Stanley Cup champion that's actually staying on the Island, but now relocating to the most populous part of New York City. I think this could work. The arena sounds like it would be small, but I bet if the team gets hot they'll find a way to squeeze in some random seats here and there. The size of the rink compared to a basketball court would restrict what they could do, but I think this could work.
 

HawkWriter

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We're talking about a four-time Stanley Cup champion that's actually staying on the Island, but now relocating to the most populous part of New York City. I think this could work. The arena sounds like it would be small, but I bet if the team gets hot they'll find a way to squeeze in some random seats here and there. The size of the rink compared to a basketball court would restrict what they could do, but I think this could work.

The Barclays Center is absolutely going to be a better situation than the Nassau. The transportation (from what I've been reading) is supposed to be superb for getting to the Barclays Center as well, which might help keep its current fan base and grow their new one as well.

The 14,500 seating capacity is a killer. They are talking (supposedly) about adding more seats. With 27 teams averaging more than 14,500 in attendance per game last year, the Islanders may be missing out big time in the future. Right now and in the recent past they haven't come close to that number really, but it wasn't so long ago that the Blackhawks were around 12K and now they are at 21.5K. The money gained in ticket sales, parking (don't know where that goes for Barclays), concessions, souvenirs, etc is a very large chunk of change.

Definitely a positive move for the Islanders right now...but I just think a lot of money may be left on the table in the future.
 

DewsSox79

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I am sure the experts that work for the Islanders realize this and know a way to still generate revenue with a smaller capacity. Or they know they can modify the stadium if and when they are a bigger draw.

their attendance went up last year from the year before to 13,191. to get to 14,500 it isnt a lot in a game by game basis but sitting at 13,191 for a full season hurts. they are close with a real bad team. if they are competitive they will hit their mark...plus the new facility.

Again the executives I am sure know all angles of this move.
 

HawkWriter

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I am sure the experts that work for the Islanders realize this and know a way to still generate revenue with a smaller capacity. Or they know they can modify the stadium if and when they are a bigger draw.

their attendance went up last year from the year before to 13,191. to get to 14,500 it isnt a lot in a game by game basis but sitting at 13,191 for a full season hurts. they are close with a real bad team. if they are competitive they will hit their mark...plus the new facility.

Again the executives I am sure know all angles of this move.

I'm sure they do and I have said it is a positive move for the team. However, there is no denying that there is more potential with a stadium of 18,000 capacity compared to 14,500 capacity. Running the numbers on just 3,000 more tickets a year...it definitely adds up big time.

This move will help their bottom line compared to the Nassau.
 

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