The New York Islanders are close to an agreement that would allow the team to play games out of Nassau Coliseum in the seasons leading up to the opening of a new arena at Belmont Park, according to Jim Baumbach of Newsday.
The Islanders won a bid to develop Belmont Park back in December.
Nassau was the home of the Islanders from 1972-2015, when the team moved into Barclays Center.
But New York’s new home has been a poor fit for a hockey team, with obstructed sightlines and a car display in the corner of the arena reminiscent of a European arena.
The Islanders are averaging a league-low 12,059 fans per game this season and getting a new facility was a top priority for a franchise in danger of losing John Tavares to free agency.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has previously said that the Islanders returning to Nassau is not an option for the club, though that stance could be softening as part of a short-term solution while the Belmont Park building gets done.
Bettman toured Nassau earlier in January to assess its suitability for a potential Islanders return. The Coliseum underwent a $165-million renovation before reopening in March of 2017.
Long Island Association CEO Kevin Law said then that “anything that needs to be done to bring this facility into NHL compliance” would be done if the “Islanders commit to a substantial number of games.”
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said back in December that “the Coliseum option is certainly worthy of strong consideration” as a home for the Islanders, who have until Jan. 30 to enact their opt-out clause on their deal with Barclays Center. New York is already locked in to play out of the Brooklyn facility for the 2018-19 season.
A building in Belmont Park could be ready at the earliest by 2021-22, says Baumbach, which could leave the Islanders without a home for 2019-20.
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