The New York Islanders’ new owners claim that Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is “our home,” yet there are all kinds of rumors going around about where they may settle.
Things really heated up with talks of moving next to the New York Mets with a new arena in Queens, but apparently that’s not all.
New York Newsday reports that the Islanders have met “several times” with the New York Racing Association to build a new arena in Belmont. This would mean that the Islanders would (wait for it) bring the team back to the Nassau area.
It was emphasized that such talks were in early stages and that the ownership group is “weighing multiple options, including remaining in Brooklyn.”
When it came to the rumors about Queens, more than a few people believed that it may have come down to leveraging Barclays for a better situation in Brooklyn. The Isles’ ownership group hasn’t discussed these rumors, so it’s difficult to gauge how seriously the team would consider moving again.
Islanders want their own home, a better one, closer to roots. Good on new owners for exploring. https://t.co/fkM5HagKPQ
— Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL) July 22, 2016
In the grand scheme of things, it feels far too early to get too excited or bent out of shape about these murmurs. Even if something significant happens - and there have been plenty of gripes about Barclays - it sounds like it would take some time for plans to formulate.