Skip to main content

Featured Post

Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park infographics: what's built/what's coming/what's missing, who's responsible, + project FAQ/timeline (pinned post)

No, the Nassau Coliseum won't host any regular season Islanders games

"Nassau must be wary about plans for Coliseum," I wrote in Newsday 5/21/15, concluding, "Ratner revised the Brooklyn deal several times. Expect more in Nassau."

Well, yes.

Newsday reported tonight, No Islanders regular season games at Nassau Coliseum next season:
The New York Islanders will not play four regular season games at the renovated Nassau Coliseum next season, despite an agreement to do so by developer Bruce Ratner in his 2013 lease with the county, according to National Hockey League Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.
There might be one preseason game, though the lease calls for two. Newsday notes that the promise of Islanders games helped Ratner win the bid to renovate the Coliseum. (His team also offered more than Madison Square Garden.)

Now the arena operators will have to pay $1 million a year to Nassau County, according to the lease, but indicted Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, who wants the Islanders to become the Coliseum's anchor tenant (unlikely), wouldn't confirm that the lease would be enforced.

(Because of the Islanders possibility, Nassau will not enforce another clause in the contract requiring a minor league hockey team, Newsday noted.)

Both the team and the arena operating company have new majority owners. Ratner's consortium is now mostly owned by Mikhail Prokhorov.

One Newsday commenter wrote:
"Lies, Lies! Promised four regular season games, two preseason games by the Islanders, Lies, Lies! Promised a AHL Franchise Lies, Lies! , Nassau County is again the laughing stock of the nation. Will anyone be fined?? Will anyone go to Jail? What kinda of example is this for our children?"

Comments