First the Nets, Now the Islanders?
NHL team may join the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center
The arena construction site viewed from Sixth Avenue approaching Atlantic Avenue.
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Brooklyn will soon be getting a long-awaited professional basketball team when the Nets take the court at the Barclays Center, but a pro hockey team may also be in the cards as well.
According to Newsday, real estate developer Bruce Ratner and Nets CEO Brett Yomark met NHL league officials at their headquarters in Manhattan last week to express interest in bringing the New York Islanders to Brooklyn.
With the plans for a new arena in Nassau officially scrapped, the team will be without a stadium once their contract with Nassau Coliseum ends in 2015.
Barclays Center construction continues apace and is expected to be complete by the start of the 2012-13 basketball season.
Norman Oder
6:15 pm on Monday, August 22, 2011
We don't know that the Islanders won't have an arena in 2015. We know that the most recent plan was scrapped.
FWIW, "according to Gothamist" in this case means "according to Gothamist's quotation of Newsday's reporting."
Eric McClure
9:39 pm on Monday, August 22, 2011
Gothamist said no such thing: http://www.nolandgrab.org/archives/2011/08/first_the_nets.html
James Izurieta
11:25 am on Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Islanders stink on ice. Why would we want them in Brooklyn? If they change their coach, half the team and their name, then we can talk. I'm thinking of the Brooklyn Salugis. Or the Brooklyn Gowanus.