With the lockout dragging on, the New York Islanders finally determined their future when they committed to moving to Brooklyn in 2015-16.
When the news broke, John Tavares was playing for SC Bern in Switzerland, but he said the announcement came as “a big relief for everybody.”
“We needed to find a home and we did,” Tavares said, according to Newsday. “We found a way to still be on the Island even though it’s not really where we wanted to be. This is something that should ease a lot of guys’ minds in the years to come.”
All the same, the fact that they’ll have to leave Nassau County makes the news bittersweet.
“Believe it or not,” he said, “we’re going to miss Nassau and miss the Coliseum.”
The hope is that the Islanders will have an easier time attracting free agents now that they have a new home, although Tavares ultimately thinks that their play on the ice will determine what free agents they can lure over.
As far as Tavares goes, he’s made a commitment with the Islanders through the 2017-18 campaign, so he’ll remain the face of the franchise well into his prime.