The big news for New York Islander’s fans yesterday was winning the draft lottery. The Islanders entered with just a 3.5% chance of winning the NHL’s top selection in June. It’s the first time they have the chance to pick first overall since 2009 when they selected John Tavares.
Lost in the news was the ongoing feud between the New York State government and the league in regards to the previously planned 2026 NHL All-Star Game. The game was scheduled to take place at the Islanders' home of UBS Arena. The league announced the All-Star Game would be replaced by an “Olympic kickoff” style event shortly before players go to the Winter Olympics.
The league’s decision is motivated both by the upcoming Olympics and the astounding success of this season’s Four Nations Face-Off. The league offered little to no details on what this “international kick-off” event would entail, just saying it would not be a normal All-Star Game. Commissioner Gary Bettman just added that they’ll do something “more focused on a major hockey event” in 2027.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul wasn’t happy with the news. In a “furious letter,” she specifically pointed out the lost economic value of missing an All-Star Game and cited the state’s involvement with making UBS Arena a reality. Hochul’s letter seems to skate around (pun very much intended) the fact that the league is still planning a tent pole event at UBS Arena in 2026. Bettman later added the league was not notified before Hochul’s letter was released to the public.
Hochul does make a few good points. New York State was instrumental in building UBS arena, including the infrastructure of a new railroad station for commuting fans. She also pointed out that the Winter Olympics conflict was “foreseeable and could have been addressed through early coordination”.
In that regards she is completely correct, as the NHL often skips over All-Star events in Olympic years. The fact they had one planned for 2026 was eyebrow raising in itself and a break from tradition. The Olympics didn’t come out of nowhere, so why are we using them as a reason to change plans now?
Bettman confirmed to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski the league will hold a similar event at UBS Arena in 2027. The league had yet to announce a location for the 2027 All-Star Game so could this be the commissioner “soft launching” (to borrow a term from the millennials) where it will be? Maybe it’s a knee jerk reaction to being blind sighted by the governors’ letter.
In Bettman’s defense, he has repeatedly stated the league wants to “raise the bar” in regards to All-Star events which had become repetitive. The All-Star Game we get in 2027 might look a lot different from the events of the past.
Fans also await details of this “send-off event” for 2026. Will it be a game? A sendoff party? An open practice for the United States national team? No details have been announced other than it not being an All-Star Game and being held at UBS Arena.
Something similar happened with MLB’s All Star Game in 2021. The game was moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Denver, Colorado over MLB’s disagreement with a state law which was a decision that led to considerable controversy. Atlanta would eventualy be awarded the 2025 All-Star Game, scheduled to take place this July.
Of course a few hours later the Islanders would defy the odds and win the draft lottery. Twitter users were quick to point out and joke the league rigged the lottery in response to Hochul’s letter. Some fans jokingly saw it as a fair trade off. If UBS Arena isn’t hosting an “All Star Game”, at least this summer they’ll host one exciting draft party.