Mikhail Prokhorov is closing the Nassau Coliseum, per Patrick Clark of Bloomberg.com. Nassau Coliseum, of course, is where the Islanders play their home games. They had planned to make Nassau their home again for the 2020-2021 season.
Onexim Sports and Entertainment currently runs the arena, Clark explains, but they’ll be looking for someone else to take over operational and fiscal responsibility of the venue moving forward. In a statement quoted by Clark, Onexim said this of their decisions: “The unforeseeable and unprecedented Covid-19 crisis has had a devastating effect on the operations of the Coliseum and its finances. While we still believe in the enormous long term economic value of the Coliseum and the development of the surrounding land, we recognize that such value will be best realized by other parties.”
The Islanders may have to find a new home for the 2020-2021 season, but it may just be a matter of time until someone else takes over the lease. The Islanders played in Brooklyn previously, but the relationship wasn’t a fit for either party, promoting the Islanders to move back to Nassau.
The Islanders are constructing their own space in Belmont Park, Clark notes, which could create competition for Nassau and make finder a new leaser all the more complicated. Of course, with the pandemic more-or-less halting all potential uses for a gaming and entertainment arena, there’s no shortage of potential roadblocks to getting Nassau up and running again. Regardless of what happens with Nassau, the Islanders had hoped to have the new arena ready by the 2021-2022 season.
Al Hirschen
Let them play in the old Meadowlands New Jersey. I’m sure the 7000 fans would travel out there. Or maybe they can ask Jim Dolan if they could play in the Hulu Theater (Felt Form)Madison Square Garden
Al Hirschen
The Icelanders said that they didn’t want to play in Brooklyn
layventsky
Barclays is not conducive to hockey.
rct
New Jersey is all the way on the other side of NYC and East Rutherford is further away from NYC than where the Devils play (Newark).
joefriday1948
Hope they find an inside home and do not have to play outside.
garykeithron
Sucks to suck. Go to Kansas City.
coachtim
Cleveland Barons reincarnated
amandafafi
Schmuck
Elite-Finnish
Not a good sign for them, especially with the fact Prokhorov just wants to get rid of the arena and 100m debt owned on it. The land isn’t that valuable so I can not see them seriously finding a buyer anytime in the foreseeable future. It’ll just sit, probably until it reverts back to the city and they decide to sell it to someone else. Either way, it’s the end of Nassau. Islanders will be stuck in Brooklyn, most likely. Or have to share MSG.
MZ311
Share MSG? Hahahahaha
Hahahahaha
Hahahahaha
Al Hirschen
They can play in the park across from the White House I’m sure Trump will put up the plexiglassAnd then tear gas them when the games over. And Mexico will pay for the plexiglass
acarneglia
MAGA hater
jdgoat
Lmao that’s not a chirp
fletch1367
You can dislike trump while still loving your country.
MZ311
Yup. You magats are a pimple on the ass of this country
Gbear
Thank you, Al, for taking time from looting and burning buildings to post here. BTW, next time you get hit with tear gas, I hear milk is good for clearing it out of your eyes. :D
ironcity341
Hartford here they come