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Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is game for hockey; Islanders’ future home?

The Brooklyn Nets Basketball

Construction continues on the Barclays Center in the Brooklyn section of New York, on Wednesday, July 27, 2011. The New Jersey Nets are full speed ahead with their plans to move, preparing to have the new arena finished in time to host their first game of the 2012-13 season. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

AP

While the Islanders and owner Charles Wang are trying to figure out what their Plan C is going to be as far as getting a new arena for the team after the arena referendum was shot down last week, their answer might lie to the west of Nassau County. No, we don’t mean Kanasas City either.

The Barclays Center is currently under construction in Brooklyn and will be the future home of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets. While the arena is rising in the New York City borough, some who are hopeful of keeping the Islanders in New York are pointing at Barclays Center as the place Wang should start taking a look at to bring the Islanders to.

Of course, the question that came up immediately was whether or not Barclays Center would be able to hold a NHL rink without any issues. After all, Barclays Center is being built specifically with basketball in mind and the hardwood takes up much less space than a rink. Fear not fans in New York, Barclays Center is good to go just in case the Islanders interests point towards Hipsterville, USA in Brooklyn. The New York Daily News’ Mark Morales is on the story.

Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark isn’t ruling out a move to the new arena.

“The Barclays Center will have an ice rink that can support professional hockey,” Yormark said in a written statement. But, he added, “Our primary focus at the moment is to build the best sports and entertainment venue in the world.”

Local fans hope a move to the heart of Brooklyn will bring back the team’s magic.


In case you’re wondering, Brett Yormark is the brother of Florida Panthers president Michael Yormark. We’re sure he’s heard all about how great hockey is during the holidays.

Giving the Islanders an option that will be already built and ready to go once the Islanders’ lease with Nassau County Coliseum is up in 2015 gives Wang something to aim for should things get desperate. While Wang is being courted by neighboring Suffolk County for a potential landing place for the Islanders’ new arena, Barclays Center would give the Isles a prime location to fall into should things not pan out elsewhere on Long Island.

Brooklyn does have a vague history with professional hockey. From 1924 to 1942, the Brooklyn Americans (aka: New York Americans) called New York City home. The Americans, however, only practiced in Brooklyn and called Madison Square Garden home for their games along with the Rangers. We’re thinking that the same sort of arrangement these days would result in a constant turf war between Rangers and opposing fans. That said, having the Islanders be a bit closer to New York City and away from Long Island would make Rangers-Islanders games all the more hotly contested on the ice and in the stands. That’s rather terrifying.

This wouldn’t be an ideal plan for Wang, however, as he’s insistent on keeping the team on Long Island and closer to the majority of the team’s fan base. If things break down into further political battles across both Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Wang gets tired of the rat race there, picking things up and moving them to Brooklyn would be a better move than going to Quebec City or anywhere else eager to land a team.

Burning bridges with the fans you do have like that is something only every other team that’s relocated has done and ticking off Long Islanders doesn’t sound like a good move, question is would Isles fans trek to Brooklyn to watch their team on a regular basis?