Travis Williams is reportedly leaving his post as chief operating officer of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and will take a higher position with the New York Islanders.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Friday that Williams is set to leave the Penguins for the Islanders, a franchise that is plotting future arena plans. The Islanders will split home games over the next several seasons between Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, but are planning a new arena at Belmont Park that is expected to open by the 2021-22 NHL season.
With the new arena’s opening on the horizon, the Islanders are reportedly bringing in Williams to oversee the business side of their organization. Williams would join the Islanders after years in Pittsburgh that saw him play significant roles in the construction of PPG Paints Arena–which opened in 2010–and other endeavors for the Penguins. More from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
He’s been Penguins’ point man on the development of the former Civic Arena site, and Williams previously had a key role in the construction of PPG Paints Arena and the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Prior to joining the Penguins in 2008, Williams was a partner at Reed Smith LLP, spending a dozen years there doing various things such as mergers and acquisitions, investment management and commercial lending.
The Islanders job offers Williams a promotion.
He’ll basically run the business side of things, with Lou Lamoniello serving as president of hockey operations. The Islanders will play games at both Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum in 2018-19, with plans to move into $1 billion Belmont Park Arena by 2021.
The Islanders’ new arena is expected to be constructed as part of a larger development project, as the team was joined its bid for the Belmont Park site by a contingent that included Oak View Group and Sterling Project Development.
RELATED STORIES: Islanders Add More Nassau Coliseum to 2018-19 Slate; With New Islanders Arena Coming, Belmont Park Renovations are Being Discussed; New York Islanders Arena Project on Schedule; New York Islanders Facing Short-Term Arena Decisions; NHL Won’t Rule Out Islanders Games at Nassau Coliseum; Best of 2017, #5: New York Islanders Win Belmont Park Bid; New York Islanders to Land Belmont Park Site for Arena; Report: Decision on Belmont Park Site Expected Wednesday; New York Islanders Arena Plan to be Presented Sunday; Islanders: Webster Bank Arena Upgrades Linked to Arena Pursuit; Bettman Backs New York Islanders Belmont Arena Bid; New York Islanders Debut Pracitice Facility; Still Arena New Arena; Details Revealed on New York Islanders Arena Proposal; Ledecky: Islanders Focused on Belmont Park Arena; New York Islanders Bid for Belmont Park Arena; New York Islanders Prepping for RFP on Belmont Park Site
