And with no hockey, the NY Islanders announce they are moving to Brooklyn for the 2015/2016 season. There will be no name or logo change. Being a Rangers fan, I feel bad for all the Islanders fans out there.

It’s a move of less than 30 miles. And it’s probably way better for the franchise.

Anyone visited the Nassau Coliseum lately? An utter dump, and it was looking ragged in 1989 when I saw Motley Crue there!

I don’t know…it doesn’t look that bad to me. Yeah, it’s old but it’s not that bad. I’m more suprised they couldn’t find the funds to at least fix it up. I’m seeing Jeff Dunham there on NYE.

ron: It’s a move of less than 30 miles. And it’s probably way better for the franchise.

30 miles is hours in NY traffic.. Suffolk County fans will be pissed. Most NY’ers don’t consider Brooklyn part of Long Island. Yes I know that geographcally it is. But no one in Brooklyn considers themselves a Long Islander. I haven’t been to the Coliseum in over 4 years but they’ve been trying to get the money to fix that place up for years. Now that the brand new Brooklyn location has opened up, the Coliseum’s worst nightmare is coming true.

Gotta hand it to Brooklyn – last year they had nothing. In 3 years they’ll have a basketball and hockey team. Major musical acts are already playing there. They almost had to since Madison Square Garden was closed for upgrades. All they need to do is build a hotel right next door connected to the place.

suebndave: 30 miles is hours in NY traffic.. Suffolk County fans will be pissed. Most NY’ers don’t consider Brooklyn part of Long Island. Yes I know that geographcally it is. But no one in Brooklyn considers themselves a Long Islander. I haven’t been to the Coliseum in over 4 years but they’ve been trying to get the money to fix that place up for years. Now that the brand new Brooklyn location has opened up, the Coliseum’s worst nightmare is coming true.Gotta hand it to Brooklyn – last year they had nothing. In 3 years they’ll have a basketball and hockey team. Major musical acts are already playing there. They almost had to since Madison Square Garden was closed for upgrades. All they need to do is build a hotel right next door connected to the place.

Couldn’t agree with you more. The Islander fans that still go to the games and support the team that drive to the Coliseum from Suffolk County won’t make that trip on a week night to Brooklyn. They will attract more fans in the borough though than they did before and will get a boost from the NYC crowd after work though.

The Coliseum was a dump but still had someof the best sight lines in hockey, similar layout as Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and Rexall Place in Edmonton. Not a bad seat in the place for a game. They won’t have that in Barclays because the building wasn’t built for hockey. Google the seat map they had for the preseason game and you’ll see. There isn’t any seating behind one of the nets!

I feel bad for the people of Long Island that supported the team through these years (as bad a a Ranger fan can feel for the Islander fans). But its only Brooklyn and it isn’t Kansas City.

I think it’s disgusting that Nassau County wouldn’t support their ONLY sports team. OK, so their years from the beginning thru 1983 were their glory years, you don’t abandon your team because they are terrible. Come 2015, they will try to fill the place up with concerts and stuff, and they will eventually tear it down and build something else…

Heres what I dont get. Before the cba expired owners were signing players to beat the deadline,now they want a 20% give back on existing contracts from the players. They are saying they want to expand to two cities after a settlement. The Islanders announce a move thats two years away. How can the league make all these future plans when there is no present? DUH! Is it the players fault the owners are giving 20 goal scorers 5 and 6 million a year? Is it the players fault the owners are handing out long term deals for 10 and 12 years?
To me here are the two biggest problems. 1. You have a commissioner who has a huge ego who is on his third lockout and you now have a NHLPA president with just as big an ego or bigger. and 2. You have gm’s who were once players in the league, not business people and the dumb owners are letting them talk them into giving out these contracts. Take Chicago for instance. They give Kane and Toews 6.5 million a year each. Last year Troy Brower,Andrew Ladd,and Kris Versteeg all former Hawks scored more goals than Kane for half the money! These gm’s are paying guys either for their past or their potential. WRONG on both counts.
If I were the players this would be my next move. The guys under contract should file a suit to all become free agents. They are not on strike. They are locked out of the work place. They want to work but are being denied access to work. Otherwise I don’t think there will be a season.

videoman320:
Heres what I dont get. Before the cba expired owners were signing players to beat the deadline,now they want a 20% give back on existing contracts from the players.

They give Kane and Toews 6.5 million a year each. Last year Troy Brower,Andrew Ladd,and Kris Versteeg all former Hawks scored more goals than Kane for half the money!

Couldn’t agree with you more on the first point, and on Versteeg, my Panthers and I say thank you. Love that guy!

When was the last time a band played Nassau Coliseum ?

videoman320: Heres what I dont get. Before the cba expired owners were signing players to beat the deadline,now they want a 20% give back on existing contracts from the players. They are saying they want to expand to two cities after a settlement. The Islanders announce a move thats two years away. How can the league make all these future plans when there is no present? DUH! Is it the players fault the owners are giving 20 goal scorers 5 and 6 million a year? Is it the players fault the owners are handing out long term deals for 10 and 12 years?To me here are the two biggest problems. 1. You have a commissioner who has a huge ego who is on his third lockout and you now have a NHLPA president with just as big an ego or bigger. and 2. You have gm’s who were once players in the league, not business people and the dumb owners are letting them talk them into giving out these contracts. Take Chicago for instance. They give Kane and Toews 6.5 million a year each. Last year Troy Brower,Andrew Ladd,and Kris Versteeg all former Hawks scored more goals than Kane for half the money! These gm’s are paying guys either for their past or their potential. WRONG on both counts.If I were the players this would be my next move. The guys under contract should file a suit to all become free agents. They are not on strike. They are locked out of the work place. They want to work but are being denied access to work. Otherwise I don’t think there will be a season.

Great points! The Wild gave Suter and Parise those contracts this summer – long term, big bucks – and now the owners complain of these types of deals? I heard a rumor that the owners new that Bettman and the sall markets were gonna push for a roll back so in essence wouldn’t have to pay as much on those big contracts THEY JUST SIGNED!!! Imagine if you’re a player, you sign a contract July 1 and then 4 months later told, “Umm yea you arent getting 20% of that”. Not good.

What I really hate is the phrase, “small market.” There is no such thing. Put a product worth paying for on the ice and you will draw fans. It has been proven in every sport. Who in their right mind would pay to see the Columbus Blue Jackets or The Islanders! These teams are millions under the cap, choose not to resign their better players and then waste money on over paid free agents thinking they will fill seats. No small markets just small minded owners! A lot of teams in baseball have put together good teams only to get a new stadium,then rip the team apart and go back to being losers. The Twins,The Padres,The Marlins.
The NHL NEVER should have given Atlanta a second chance while they have a city like Hamilton jumping through hoops for 20 years to get a team. If anyone should have gotten a second chance it was Quebec City. The Canadiens and The Nordiques was a great rivalry fans on both sides of the border enjoyed watching. They have teams crying they don’t make money yet during a lockout Bettman is talking about adding teams in Quebec and a second team in Toronto? This league needs to contract not add teams. Bottom line is Bettman needs to go!

videoman320:
Bottom line is Bettman needs to go!

This.