BETTMAN: QUEENS AN OPTION (NO WAY?!!!)
“The ToH has dragged this thing on interminably”
12:40 pm: In his latest appearance with “Boomer & Carton” on WFAN, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman referred to Queens as ”one of many possibilities” for the Islanders. Said Bettman: “Charles Wang does not want to move the team out of Hempstead, but he may have no choice. The Town of Hempstead has dragged this thing on interminably.”
h/t to Lisa, Dom and the good folks at Islandermania
65 Responses to BETTMAN: QUEENS AN OPTION (NO WAY?!!!)
“The ToH has dragged this thing on interminably”
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Gary9-19-22 says:
As long as they stay in NY I’m ok… I would rather them stay on teh Island for the good of Nassau County but… beggers cant be choosers…
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Jzimm says:
I’m sure he could build another Arena adjacent to the existing one. He’s just stuck on his metropolis. I don’t live on LI anymore, but I’d still like them to stay where they are, but just in a new building. I’m sure that can be done.
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I would love Queens–easily accessible by train and it would open up the boroughs to the greatness of the Islanders. You don’t think kids in Queens or Brooklyn or even Manhattan would go to Islander games? And out on the Island, it’s still easier than getting into Manhattan. Let Wang build a convention center and build an arena in Flushing, PLEASE.
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Strummer's Army says:
Yes, please go to Queens. I’m surprised Charles hasn’t had artist create renderings of what the new facilities would look like there. I am sure Queens would fast track it. I’m sick of dealing with Kate Murray I’m not sure how Charles remains patient because my guess is unless Kate Murray chokes on a chicken Mcnugget the Lighthouse project will never be approved.
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ars9x says:
Good, I say go for it at this point. I LOVE NMVC, imo there are few places that can rival it as far as watching a hockey game. There is not a bad seat in the house, you feel so close to the action and our fans are so great, when the old barn is rockin there is no place like it!
But something has to be done already.
Eff the TOH. I have to believe our Islanders pride will go where we go! -
EAF says:
what happened to the October, 5th deadline given by Mr. Wang?
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Anthony says:
If the Town of Hempstead isn’t onboard by now, they never will. It’s time for Wang to move to another location, and I hope it’s on Long Island.
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beatlebailey says:
dont be so quick to bury the nvmc….i took a ride over to the pru center to watch last saturday night’s debacle against the devils and while it is a brand new arena with wider concourses and padded seats the sight lines from the top do not compare to the nvmc….its a shame politics has to been involved in this..if you put 200-300 million into modernizing the nvmc you would have the absolute best place in the league to watch a game..
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visited tampa last month and caught a lightening game…same deal..nice arena but the sight lines were no comparison to the nvmc
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BD Hendo says:
Flushing Meadow is not an easy place to get to from LI by train. Once you get on an LIRR train, you have to get to the Woodside (Queens) station. That almost requires a transfer at Jamaica. Then you must exit the LIRR & grab a NO.7 Subway train to the arena site; I would rather see them move, if at all, to Brooklyn; it is an easier ride on the LIRR, no subway. But, what ever is easy for an Isles fan!!!
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orngfan says:
lets be honest queens is a no brainer. brooklyn might be a huge hassle for many islanders fans especially with traffic on the belt being what it is. many islanders fans are mets fans and know the trip out to that area pretty well.
lets just tell hempstead to take their land and shove it and hope they have to use it for a crack den in the future..
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BD-It’s not a problem getting to Mets games–even for the inexperienced, you just follow the crowd. That’ll be the same way for Islander games–pick up the train wherever, to Jamaica, to Woodside–it’s pretty easy, and I’ve been going to Mets games by train since I was 8.
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Iron Islander77 says:
Here we go again…. Stay – Go – Stay – Go – the politics continue. The Islanders remain a botton 5 team. Only hope as a fan is a draft pick… All I can say is that Wang better wrap this sucker up and decide what the Islanders are going to do, execute that plan and drop some coin on a real roster. Otherwise, this circus will conitue another year of performances…
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Mike P says:
I`m with Devon on this one. Queens in the Flushing area would be perfect. Citi field, LIRR & 7 train multiple highways should boost. Attendence and may attract UFA`s cause of closer proximity to Manhattan. I drve a bus for the MTA in the area and the old Flushing airport is a huge empty area with nothing but wild plants and tree`s would be a perfect spot for a brand new arena right off the whitestone expressway. TOH obviously does not care wether or not it loses it`s only pro team. Screw em and move. Please look into Mr Wang before you decide to take the team out on NY. Quees politicians have publicly stated a solid interest. This may work out for the best for the franchise.
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Blizzard says: …..could happen. I would so love the Islanders to vacate that dump that is know as Uniondale. Of course moving somewhere local. Enough is enough already. Let the tumbleweeds fly at the colosium!!!!
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Mavnyc says:
We will know by memorial day what exactly is going on.
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Staten Islander says:
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd so the off season begins
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This is all nonsense until the ToH comes out with its plan and then Wang needs to make a move.
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#12. there is a LIRR stop right by the USTA Tennis Center across from Citifield
you can’t find the better place to build the NHL arena
but the problem is Wang doesn’t want to build the new arena. he wants shopping mall, hotels, etc. hockey arena is the last on this list.
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Mark In Ottawa says:
I was wondering what the latest was on this ! THANKS CHRIS.
As long as they stay on the Island, I’ll be a fan.
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Jim Clark says: It must really gnaw at Gary Bettman, who gave us poorly attended games in Atlanta, Florida, Tampa, Phoenix etc and spent $500 investigating John Spano’s finances, that some government officials don’t jump when he says “heel”. For better or worse the people have decided by electing Kate Murray that they do not want a complex of huge towers casting shadows over three counties and increasing traffic. The only thing the shops in the Lighthouse will do is move the location of low paying jobs from Roosevelt Field, Westbury, etc. Wang is certainly free to move his team to Brooklyn, Kansas City, Winnipeg, or Katmandu when his lease expires. But Bettman should try getting elected by the people instead of by a few multimillionaires, many of whom end up indicted. Then he would be free to change the character of the community.
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starz31 says:
Port Washington line of LIRR stops at Citifield. Other lines do need to go through Woodside.
Anywhere on Long Island (queens is on LI) has to happen. Otherwise, might as well change our name.
Isn’t TOH still looking to submit a revised proposal, albeit scaled down?
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kevin fitz says:
Enough with this already. Move or don’t move. I can’t take it anymore. Why should I invest time, money and soul into a team where we have NO clue where they will be playing in 5 years? If they are going to move, fine, let us know already. This has to stop.
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Will C. says:
I hope Murray looks at the Arena District in Columbus. They took old industry land and revitalized the arena and built the local economy around the team. Great job to the Jackets, they got it right. Similar to what Charles wants, but Kate Murray probably couldn’t manage her barbie town house growing up let alone the TOH.
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bergie20 says:
it’s very easy to get to flushing meadows from nassau/suffolk. take the lirr to woodside and transfer to the 7 for the short ride to willets point. li’ers have done it for 45 years for the mets without complaining. i’m all for a move to flushing. you would probably increase the fanbase and exposure for the franchise.
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Ethan K says:
Just keep the team close by, and I’ll keep trying to go to games. It won’t make much difference for me, as a train ticket is probably about the same price as parking. Just get a nice arena and get fans to watch a team, and get free agents to want to sign!
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hyedray says:
I continue to hope that the Queens option is opened up publicly. Murray et al have done their usual disappearing act now that election time has come and gone. We won’t hear anything from Hempstead for another 18 months.
The is NHL hockey—not the ECHL. I have always felt that Wang has not been playing this “game” at the professional level.
Scenario: Had wang contributed a significant dollar amount to Murray and Mondello—the darn thing would have sailed through the meetings and been approved years ago. But if Wang does not support them—fine. Then he needed to step up when Queens began courting the Isles, and have public meetings and discussions with them. The best case scenario—Murray and the Hooples of Hempstead would have buckled at the risk of losing the team. The worst case—Queens would have given Wang what he wanted, and we all are happy because the team stays close.
I am all for Queens. It is my first choice—even over NVMC.
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Nobody says:
I don’t get it. Are we still talking theurray/mondello nonsense about towers casting shadows and changing the character of communities? Really? Very sad. I think Queens/NYC understanding the relationship between development and the well-being of it’s residents way better than ToH/NC, which watches idly by as the young leave, the population dwindles, tax rates skyrocket, and business development is non-existent…sigh,….
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IslesAl says:
Mr. Clark,
Enjoy the increase in property taxes when the NHL leaves Nassau. Perhaps you can build a Home Depot there, but that is simply moving revenue from one town to another. The NHL brings a unique, irreplaceable revenue stream to Nassau. -
Chris R says:
I live in Whitestone and I would love to have the Islanders in my backyard. It would also be a great opportunity to exterminate ranger fans out of queens.
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MattyB says:
I’m all for the move to Queens, but If they call the team the fricken Queens Islanders, i’ll throw up hah
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nola says:
don’t who to trust less, bettman, wang or murray,
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IslesRock says:
CB, thanks for the update, but this is a boring old story. My advice to Wang is to refurbish the place. As a season tickets holder, just make the corridors and bathrooms bigger and replace the arena seats. A few nice restuarants, minor league baseball park, one Lighthouse tower, and call it a day. Why your at it, improve the team and get us into the playoffs!!
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Hoser14 says:
It is very clear that TOH/NC would not lose too much sleep if the Isles move away and the sooner the better.
But I don’t see a Willets Points Arena happening anytime soon, and not with The Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn and will be opened in 2 years. How would Willets Point compete for events with MSG, The Rock, The Atlantic Yards and even The Mausoleum (if it’s still standing).
For me, living in Brooklyn, I rather take the Q Train or the 41 Bus to Atlantic and Flatbush than take the John Rocker Express (ie the 7 Train) one station at a time.
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Jace885 says:
For the UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, they erected a 20,000 seat arena in 3 weeks. I know it’s not a fair compairson. Just saying…
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I think the problem here is not that Wang should just refurbish the arena and suck it up, but that TOH is supposedly putting together how big the project can be, but are still taking their sweet time with it. If I were Wang, I’d start talking to the Wilpons and whoever owns the Nets about seriously moving the team out of Nassau. When TOH cries that they did everything they could, maybe then the residents of TOH will get rid of the snot rags in power.
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UIF says:
Went to the ACC in Toronto for a Sabres/Leafs game recently, and that place is like Disney World compared to the NVMC. But I agree with some of the above posts…re-do the concourse but leave the bowl. The Coliseum gets louder than any arena around when the crowd gets going. A lot of the new places are too cavernous. Guess it’s a moot point if they move out of Uniondale though.
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jim bishop says:
brooklyn is a better option than queens because of its easy accessibility, Any train that goes to Jamaica has a connection that will go right to Atlantic Terminal which is where the stadium is. One of the reason for smaller crowds over the years is because the Coliseum is in such a crappy location. Build near mass transit=selling a lot of tickets. Look, the Rangers were disgusting for years upon years, but they still sold tickets. Why? Because they are right above a major transit HUB
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were moving... says:
The Islanders would better off doing the following:
1) Kansas City – It seems to be a consistent “loser” with all of their pro teams. The Islanders would be a perfect fit. Royals won in ’85, and have been terrible since, almost identical to the Islanders.
2)Seattle – Have you noticed the lines between periods at the Coliseum for the Starbucks? Seattle hosts all the other major sports, and they usually stink. Why not add the Islanders?
3) Las Vegas – You can bet on the other team and win most of the time. By the end of the season you will have won next years season tickets. Just in time for those April 1 invoices. Plus, you will have forgotten that 7-3 loss by the morning.
4) Canada – Anywhere in Canada. Instead of the Lighthouse Developtment, Wang can build an entire city. How about Downtown, Canada or Canada City or Oshawa. I just like Oshawa.
5) Stockholm, Sweden – Home of the best hockey players in the world. Some would most likely sign to play half the season at home in Sweden. Too far? It’s the same flight that Tampa takes to play in Vancouver, Calgary, or Edmonton. Who cares about our country’s economy? We could have the next Forsberg or maybe even another Tommy Salo.
6) China – Don’t think Wang has not considered.
7) Detroit (or maybe Flint) – Hockey crazy, 19 playoffs in 20 years, Octopus!!! This city can handle a second franchise. New York has the Rangers, Isles, Devils, Bruins, Flyers, and Caps all relatively close. Thats 6 to 1 and in Detroit they actually like hockey, hence “Hockeytown”.
Good luck tonight with the lottery balls. Seguin sounds like he could make us as good as the Penguins in the upcoming years.
Heres to MSG going in another direction next year with the on-air personalities.
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CG says:
Queens will not happen. NYC area cannot handle another arena. It is Brooklyn (and that ship is about to sail) or Uniondale (and that ship may be sunk). Unless Wang has a master plan that he is keeping secret, things are really looking bleak. It is looking more and more like another Quebec/Colorado scenario on Long Island. I really hope I am wrong.
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4theisles says:
Around memorial day, [does anybody else get the irony?] TOH makes a proposal that Wang cannot accept. Then we know that the LH is officially dead, problem is that Queens is at least 5 years away with all the studies and approvals that any project requires. Then there is the money required to build the arena – lets face it the city is broke. Wang would need a big money producing cow to finance the deal, another words a different LH. There is still a big hole at ground Zero. NYC politics is impossible. Best shot for the Isles remaining in the area is still a paired down LH. Question can Wang make the new numbers work? Stay tuned the end game is almost here!
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ton loc says:
CB, IF the team was going to move West, would the Ranger’s have to approve it?
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YabbaDabbaDooDoo says:
So the NHL didn’t allow the bankrupt Coyotes to leave the desert, but will consider the greatest US based team in league history exiting the NYC region?
News flash: Isles stay. Period.
Remaining options:
1) Wang negotiates with TOH to build a considerably scaled back version of the Lighthouse. Meet me at the Light bulb, anyone?
Odds of happening? Slim. Why? Wang wanted a megalopolis, not just a profitable revenue generating new home for the legendary franchise.
Aside: Honestly, I never believed Wang was ever going to build a damn thing; had the Town approved the LH plans, the value of the land would have skyrocketed overnight – Wang & partners would then sell the option to build and retain the underlying real estate.
2) Wang decides to move “his” team to another NY/LI regional location, build the aforementioned megalopolis, and everyone skates away happily ever after. Nope. Why? Wang has no leverage elsewhere; and, as we’ve seen in Hempstead, local residents aren’t usually too keen about “mega” anything, no less a lopolis added. Relocate the team to a profitable revenue generating new arena instead? Sorry. Wang is disinterested.
3) Wang sells the team and new ownership builds a new arena – somewhere in NY/LI region. Perhaps right on the existing NVMC site. And who says you can’t go home again? Ding! Ding! Ding! (No, not the new goal song.)I’ll go with curtain No. 3, Monty!
Caveat: I don’t see #3 happening before the SMG lease expires in 2015.
So to the long suffering, promised rebuild awaiting, Yashin bobble-head winning, disenfranchised fans of this franchise, five more long arduous years left wandering in the desert.
Hey, it seems to have worked for the Coyotes.
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Isles81 says:
Seems like we have to hope that the scaled down project is something that Mr Wang will go for. If the township is smart they will leave enough commercial development to provide Mr Wang with an incentive to stay. Keep the Isles – scale down the project and the TOH looks like the hero in all this.
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Eric says:
Im not leaving long island!
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#46, not gonna happen…TofH will present some rediculous scalebaxk which will defeat both the societal purpose as well as the business necessity (yes, he will not make $$, especially recouping the millions lost with just an arena), he will then wait for the best available option by 2015, and will choose when that option presents… In the meantime he will wait and say nothing. Right business move!
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Numbers65 says:
http://www.arenadistrict.com Columbus, OH GET WITH THE PROGRAM TOH! Every Islander fan that has been there can see the light.
Never had a problem with sight lines. I do admit the roar of the crowd at NVMC is like no other, BUT there is no way you can turn NVMC into a first class state of the art building like that. One where you can use the restroom, get a snack and be back in your seat when the next period begins even with a full house.
LET’s GO ISLANDERS!!!! -
schnip says:
chris R #33, exterminate Ranger fans out of Queens? Isles been in Nassau since the 70′s, plenty of Ranger fan here and in Suffolk, the Ranger fans wont really become Isles fans. They will just buy our tickets there too. They already call NVMC their second arena and The Rock their third.
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Well, look on the brightside… Whatever strip mall follows won’t cast shadows and won’t change the character of the area… Does bumbleweed have character?
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Vrinqueens says:
As I’ve been saying I’d love them in Queens but that’s a long time away but Brooklyn’s only two years away and with the Nets there with their new Billionaire owner another team would be perfect. I must admit too seeing Jay Z in an Islander cap wouldn’t be such a bad thing either.
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#48 said: “In the meantime he (Wang) will wait and say nothing.” And do nothing? And spend nothing (stay at the cap floor)?
You also said, “Right business move!”
Well, I never did question Mr. Wang’s business acumen.
And the Islanders are just a “business”, right?
Then you and Mr. Wang go tell that to the fans who bleed Islander blue… The fans who cry in their beer when their team loses… The fans who spend their hard earned money year after year root root rooting for the home team.
Perhaps that’s the problem: it’s a business!
No passion. No love. No heartbreak. No joy.
Accountants never do cry in their beer, do they?
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Green19 says:
The Brooklyn arena is not an option for an NHL team. It will have many obstructed seats for hockey similar to the situation the Coyotes had at the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix.
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Mario says:
Who cares. Nothing will get done. This is just a tease like its been for years.
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#64, didn’t say any of that now did I? But, if you or anyone thinks ‘love and passion’ is enough, you’re a little out of touch. Why shouldn’t he want to not lose millions? And that has nothing to do with love and passion, but, when you’re losing $$ you don’t want to keep losing it now do you?
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JayK says:
I think what is significant here is that Bettman previously dissed the possibility of Queens as a home for the Islanders. Does he know something he’s not saying regarding some talks between Queens and Wang?
Jim Clark #23 — just a few things. First of all, for the 19th time, the amount of shopping is minimal in the original Lighthouse design. It’s a place for people to live and work, and those who constantly bring up the retail portion don’t want to admit that. Second…change the character? Are you for real? The area over there is a disaster. Is that what you’re striving to keep?
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TM says:
Queens would be great, so much better than small potatoes LI and TOH. Sounds like the news was based on Carton’s little birdy. How reliable is that? Bettman said it’s pre-mature but since I prefer NYI in Queens with mass transit, corporate support and more media exposure I’d buy season tix for Queens the day they put them on sale.
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Steve says:
I really hope that Bettman (even though I hate him for bringinig down the NHL) is shining some light between Queens and Wang. Queens chamber of commerce do NOT have any official power, according to Nick Giglia in Let there be lighthouse. I really hope that the Islanders move to Queens and add Brooklyn and Queens to their logo to represent all of geographical Long Island.
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anthony c says:
Post#50 My dad went to the draft a few years ago in columbus, and he said that whole area in general is spectacular. If the islanders had something like that, they wouldn’t have trouble selling tickets to home games and would have very little difficulty attracting the elite free agents. kate murray, and her cronies in the TOH are nothing but morons.
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nickisles from brooklyn says:
Problem with Queens is the Request for Qualification deadline has passed at Willets Point. In fact the City has already dismissed potential builders. So unless Wang has put in a request for Qualification – he will not have a shot at Queens.
The real question for Wang should be “have you put in a request to build in Willets Point” rather than “Is Queens an option” because if the first question is NO – Queens is not an option!
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Anthony Yampol says:
Wow. I can remember in 1999 thinking about what the Isles new arena might look like in the year 2015. It is almost here and no answers. I want to cry. I hate knowing how fun this team is going to be to watch, and not knowing where their home will be.
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Darren says:
nvmc is THEE best rink to watch an NHL game.How about dumping some cash to add more seating,develop surrounding land later after ownership shows some interest in improving team.PS..it would help to put people in the seats.Isles marketing is as horrible as Hunters skating ability!
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SneakyPete77 says:
Forget the building a damn city and build an arena for your team. Add a mall to it and be done with it.
good! as long as it is somewhat local to Long Island I am all for it. Screw the TOH, they never wanted the project, so now they can have a huge empty lot to help continue the beautification of Uniondale and Hempstead Tpke.