The New York Islanders can't escape their dilapidated Long Island home until 2015, but the National Hockey League team will play a preseason game at the Barclays Center this October.
The Isles said on Tuesday that they will play the first hockey game ever at the new building when they take on the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
On Long Island, the decision to play a game in Brooklyn will be taken by many residents as yet another threat by the team to move when its lease at the Nassau Coliseum expires in three years. The team has spent more than a decade fighting for a new arena, but proposal after proposal has failed to gain traction. Most recently, overwhelmingly rejected using taxpayer dollars to pay for a new Coliseum.
Here, the Barclays Center is rising quickly, and the Nets will be christened the Brooklyn Nets in time for next season. Borough President Marty Markowitz is also , and real estate developer Bruce Ratner and Nets executive Brett Yomark to try and win over the Isles.
Relocation rumors have surrounded the Isles for years, but a move to Brooklyn would keep the team in the metropolitan area.
In a statement, Isles General Manager Garth Snow said "We’re extremely excited to play the first NHL game in the new, state-of-the-art Barclays Center. We already have some of the most passionate fans in the league supporting our young team, and we are looking forward to expanding our base into Brooklyn.”
