BETTMAN: CONSTRUCTION MUST START IN ‘09
NHL commish talks Lighthouse at 6:00 pm on 1050
3:55 pm - In an interview recorded this afternoon, NHL commisioner Gary Bettman said Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead must pave the way for ground-breaking on the Coliseum property by next summer.
The interview is part of “NY Hockey This Week” with Don La Greca and I on 1050 ESPN Radio and will be played at approximately 6:00 pm tonight.
I asked the commisioner if, after spending plenty of time with Islanders owner Charles Wang at the Coliseum on Tuesday, he knew for sure the process to transform the arena property will begin in the offseason of 2009. Bettman could not guarantee that, but he made it clear it’s a must. “It has to,” he said.
In the interview, Bettman praised Wang twice for saving the Islanders and for having the “character” to focus on keeping the Islanders in Nassau County and not issuing threats. He said he was very supportive of the efforts of Wang and Scott Rechler to finalize a deal with Nassau and the Town of Hempstead and said he was available to them at all times to assist in their efforts to complete a deal.
“NY Hockey This Week” airs today from 5:30 - 6:30 pm.
Reader Notice: Several Commenters posted notes last night insisting that I hammer the NHL commissioner for perceived bias in the supplementary discipline of Islanders, Thomas Pock’s 5-game suspension the most recent case. While I asked Bettman about his personal role in determining suspensions and for his take on hits to the head, I did not push the Colin Campbell issue.
There were several reasons why. There was not much time in a shared 15-minute interview, and my priority was the Lighthouse Project. I also prefer to focus on the subject with Campbell, whom Don and I hope to have on the show in the next few weeks. But the biggest reason to not push the subject happened last night.
The Islanders issued a press release with quotes from both Garth Snow and Pock wholeheartedly supporting the NHL’s ruling. If the Islanders were okay with it, not much ammo to take to the commissioner, you know?
ETC: Excellent stuff from Greg Logan of Newsday at today’s morning skate on the subject of Josh Bailey. Greg bets that Bailey will stick. I maintain that may be a good thing, but it’s just way too easy for any of us to get giddy after one win, one assist and a solid 13 minutes. Let’s review in a week, shall we?
27 Responses to “BETTMAN: CONSTRUCTION MUST START IN ‘09
NHL commish talks Lighthouse at 6:00 pm on 1050”
Please Wait
Does this mean if construction does not start this upcoming summer the Islanders will leave before the lease is up, or does this mean that Bettman things Wang will sell right away if shot down this summer?
Good question Mike. I still think we should scrap the whole “Lighthouse” idea and just build a new arena.
it is a new arena. they tear it down and then build it all over again with the same peices so it is eco friendly and it still has the history. some one wrote that before just repeating it
lets review after the 9 games botta
hey mike from queens, it is possible that it could be that much because where else would the money go?
JP in VA well said.
Kevin I 100% agree with you on your post n the other topic. I dare Sydney Crosby to cross our blue line if three of the guys on it are Witt, Sutton, and Komisarik. Lights out kid!
A super value guy we should get good offense, great skater, huge hitter, ferocious fighter etc. is Kevin Bieksa from Van. He has a foot injury now so ya want see him Monday but youtube the guy and check out his stats. Van’s new GM had cap and resigning issues and Bieksa was available at the draft for a 4th rounder. Snow should have jumped all over it. The GM actually said on tv they were shopping him for a 4th rounder. Most of us agree on what the mold of the team we want is. Hopefully Mr. Snow is starting to see it. I know Janikowski is seeing the need for bigger defense now that they are loaded with small speed guys.
Wheter we go Tavares or Hedman in the draft the next pick we make (even if we have to trade up to the back of the first round) is Taylor Doherty. 6′8″ 220lb RD who can skate and do it all. He and Hedman could be the top pairing in a few years. Imagine that 6′7″ 231 and Doherty’s size at their draft age? Give them a few years to finish growing, what a top pair. If it is Tavares we still need Doherty. This draft has him going 22 the other has him going 3rd pick of the 2nd round. http://www.mynhldraft.com/2009/NHL-Draft-Profiles/Taylor-Doherty
yup, i think that next year is make or break time for this project. this has gone on for far too long already.
i hope the latest is spring ‘09 we hear the good news. if not, i think suffolk county would welcome a new arena. just saying.
Hey, Orlando is building an amazing new building….just saying! LOL
cb //great radio interview with bettman..
Steve, if we actually scrap the Lighthouse proposal, are you willing to cough up the $400 million for a new arena? The whole point is to provide a destination and ensure we, the taxpayers, aren’t on the hook for all that. Wang has lost a lot of money on this team, and from a business perspective he shouldn’t have to invest another dime without an assurance of making it back.
I have every confidence the project will move forward in some form close to what is presented now. Prediction right now: the team breaks ground no later than August on the new/renovated arena and the project is off to the races.
Wang doesn’t care about a new arena, He is only in this for the real estate anybody who thinks he gives a rats ass about the Isles is nuts. He is in it for the rest of the project,if all he wanted was a new arena the Isles would have been in a new home about 4 years ago.Once he gets shot down for the Lighthouse the team will be for sale that day.
Can you say Toronto Islanders.
Wang can’t build a new arena until issues with the county and with the land lease holders SMG expires… so to say Wang doesn’t give a “rat’s ass” about the Islanders is idiotic.
HE SAVED this franchise. That is a fact!
DOC
Agreed, Doc. Couldn’t say it any better.
Believe me, the Lighthouse is moving forward, and both our team and our Island will be better for it.
Good job today CB & Don. Even though the signal was getting stepped on all the way from Suffolk to Uniondale.
CB, is there a way to post the interview on this site? I think posting some of your better interviews from your ESPN show on here would generate more traffic for you.
i like that tim jackman he doesnt take any shit and he always gives it his all HES AN ISLANDER not a tiger
Bailey’s impressing me again today. He’s making things interesting if he can sustain this kind of effort and poise.
It’s also yooge (bigger than huge) that we held Ottawa scoreless even though they came out flying. If the Isles can keep them on their toes they might get frustrated and relapse into their old play.
i’m glad to hear your optomism about the lighthouse project nick. that’s a good sign. bailey had two great passes in the first period (one to sim, the other to okposo). too bad neither could finish. isles have to step it up a notch b/c the sens look determined to win this one.
Bailey’s impressing me too. I didn’t get to see much of the game the other night so I’m glad to be able to watch him tonight. GO ISLES!
Wang saved the Isles? Oh boy. He saved them from Gutkowski and firing Milbury and building a new arena (not using the NVMC) all without the adamant condition that Wang gets housing units, business complexes and shopping all on taxpayer owned land he would get for free.
I’d rather the Isles were never saved, and were subject to the wolves (Gutkowski and Koppelmann) who just wanted the team and to build a new arena.
We’d be a far better team and selling out a new arena, but hey, Wang, with the help of D’Amato (who worked for SMG and Computer Associates) and SMG’s refusal to budge on a buyout amount and the County’s refusal to help…..well, Wang got to save us. Woohoo.
I think it’s safe to say at this point with all the attention it’s been getting not just from a local stand point, but all around, they know something has to be done one way or another.
Hopefully we wont lose the team over a new arena, but if they don’t do something soon, they say it might happen, but I really doubt it will come to that.
Is there any way to hear a recorded version of the interview now? Unfortunately I missed the 6pm broadcast last night
does anyone know what the “next step” is? what has to happen next??????? why can’t anyone let us know? i just don’t understand… what has to happen next? who has to approve something? it’s always this vague thing that the county has to get things moving. HOW????!!!!!! what is the next freaking step in this thing?
I think the next step is for Wang to moan over how much money he’s losing and fans to be irate and the government to do nothing because it only wants the arena overhauled/fixed.
And after that Wang will complain about losing money. Wonder what effect a winning team with a legit team Prez and legit GM would have on motivating the County and town to act?
We’re trying to convince them to put a new paint job and motor into a Pinto.