In response to strong ticket demand, the New York Islanders will play an additional eight home games at Nassau Coliseum during the 2018-19 season.
The Islanders are planning to construct a new arena at Belmont Park, but the 2021-22 NHL season is likely the earliest that the team will begin play at the new venue. Over the next three seasons, the Islanders will split home games between Nassau Coliseum and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
The original plan called for the Islanders to play 12 home games at the Coliseum during the 2018-19 season. However, that number has been upped to 20 after the Islanders saw a high demand for tickets for the other Coliseum home games. More from Newsday:
[New York Gov. Andrew M.] Cuomo said the additional games were being switched to the Coliseum because of “high demand” for the 12 games already scheduled there.
“Until the grand opening of their new state-of-the-art arena at Belmont Park, the Islanders will reunite with their fans at Nassau Coliseum and build momentum for a long-awaited homecoming,” Cuomo said in a statement.
The Islanders’ first game in Uniondale will not be until Dec. 1 against the Blue Jackets. They will not host the Rangers there this season. Starting March 1, the Islanders’ final 10 home games will be at the Coliseum….
“It has always been our desire to maximize the amount of Islanders games at NYCB LIVE and provide Long Island fans with more opportunities to see their team live,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global, which operates both the Coliseum and Barclays Center. “NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Islanders ownership were fully supportive in making this happen.”
Overall, the Islanders are expected to play 68 games at Nassau Coliseum in the next three seasons. The Islanders called the Coliseum home from 1972-2015, before moving to the Barclays Center. Shortly after the departure of the Islanders, the Coliseum closed for an extensive renovation before reopening in 2017. Due to a naming-rights agreement, it is officially known as NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
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