New York Islanders Are Making Their Way Back to Uniondale

Gary Bettman, with Governor Cuomo, announced the New York Islanders will be back at Nassau Coliseum full-time next season including 2019-2020 playoffs.

Yesterday was an eventful day at the Nassau Coliseum. Butch Goring saw his number 91 head to the rafters as the New York Islanders were dominated by the Boston Bruins in the 4-0 loss.  But the biggest news came from National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Before puck drop, they announced that NYCB Live, otherwise known as Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, would be the home of the Islanders for this year’s playoffs (pending), as well as all home games in the 2020-21 season before their move into their forever home at Belmont.

This news had the island ecstatic. Since their departure for Barclays Center back in 2015, the Islander faithful has been begging for the team to return to where it all began back in the inaugural 1973 season.

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The problem was always “the arena cannot hold enough fans”, a statement Commissioner Bettman reiterated over and over.

The Coliseum was awarded a handful of games during the 2017-18 season.  And last season the league allowed the team to play 21 of 41 home games at Uniondale, also awarding Nassau Coliseum with hosting the first round of the playoffs, with Barclays hosting the remaining rounds if necessary.

This season, Nassau Coliseum hosted 28 games out of the 41 scheduled. And even with the Islanders fairing quite well in Brooklyn this year (7-0-3), the roaring atmosphere just could never be created in Brooklyn.

Living 15 minutes from The Coliseum, it was like a second home for me. Going to games with my father is something that I not only looked forward to, but lived for growing up. When it was announced the team was leaving Uniondale “for good”, I made it a mission to get tickets to their last regular-season home game.

And the atmosphere did not disappoint, as I cannot even put into words how it made me feel. Fans young and old showed their appreciation for the historical building and the team, as the close-knit fanbase became even closer, for a short moment.

But this family atmosphere was shattered in Brooklyn, as it divided the fanbase. The arena was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. It was not built for hockey, with the scoreboard off-centered, with many seats having obstructed views. Free agents were hesitant to come due to the arena situation, one of the reasons that led to former captain John Tavares’s departure.

Even Islander players hated the commute to games, with most living out on the island.

The move to Barclays Center back in 2015, whether you liked it or not, was much needed, as it saved the team from relocation, a move that would have killed Islander fans.

But the league finally woke up. It was time to rid the team from Barclay’s Center as it was just unbearable.

This move gives the Nassau County Community their team back for the time being. The players and fans can breathe a sigh of relief as there are only three games remaining in Brooklyn.

Uniondale was the home of the Islanders, the place where it all began. Chapter two of the departure from Uniondale will begin next season, as Islander fans get to experience the one-of-a-kind atmosphere for the last time.