Islanders Await Decision on Belmont Park

– New York Islanders Logo

The NHL’s New York Islanders have been making it known that they are banking on being selected to build an arena at Belmont Park in New York, and the team doesn’t have a contingency plan for the alternative.

The team is one of several suitors, including the MLS’s New York City FC, seeking selection from Empire State Development to build a new arena, Newsday reported, with proposals submitted Sept. 28. Details regarding any timetable for a potential decision were not available at press time. 

Team co-owner Jon Ledecky was recently quoted as saying in Newsday: “We have no Plan B, and we haven’t even thought about one.

“Instead of dealing in the hypothetical, we wake up every day optimistic that the state agency will reach a decision in a timely basis.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed to WFAN that the Islanders seemed to be banking on Belmont Park and that he too felt it would be a perfect location.

“They’ll probably build it in the (17,500 seating capacity) range, which is perfect for hockey,” Bettman told WFAN. “It’ll also be a venue, I believe, (for) concerts and basketball.”

The Islanders are already contractually locked in to play one more year at Barclays Center, according to Newsday, though windows for modification and termination of the existing 25-year contract are approaching in January.

Pollstar reached out to Barclays Center for comment on this story.