Islanders Leaving Long Island?

[The_Admiral]

The surely unintentional liaison of The Princeton Review and The New York Review of Books is going to make me chuckle long into the night. I'm such a dork, even for here.

[The_Admiral]

AP Statistics: The Postmodernism Within

[dfwabel]

AP Statistics: The Postmodernism Within

SHUT UP! Facts at every level does not matter to even Tnak.

[Saintsfan]

Just to get us back on topic here, I don't like seeing any team moving, certainly not any team that has a well established history in a locale. That being said, the NY/NJ area is well represented in Hockey terms, especially if you go a bit further into upstate NY as well, you've got the Rangers, Devils, Sabres and Islanders all fighting over fans. And in an economic downturn thats tough.

If the Nassau arena can get fixed, that sounds like a good move. The Barclays Arena? My guess is that actually that arena would prefer to just have the Nets and fill the rest of its calendar with concerts and other similar events? With the Nets and Islanders in there, thats what 160 nights filled with just sports events, even not allowing for any time between games for converting between basketball and hockey. Given the lack of events using an arena through the summer, that doesn't leave many dates for anything else. Some arenas might be happy to do that, but in New York, it seems that a more varied schedule would help the Barclays Arena compete against venues like MSG. (Especially as the Nets and Islanders aren't guaranteed to fill an arena in the way the Knicks and Rangers are, even during tough times for the teams).

If a non NY locale was to be needed, I would agree that Canada would be a preference. Seriously it seems to me that expansion into the US has not payed off all the time for the NHL and a move to balance the league more toward Canada would, to me, seem sensible.

[Lee.]

Although Saintsfan has brought us back on track, I'm going to humbly and moderatorily suggest that we all quit piling on Tank's unique posting style, and stick to the topics on hand. Aren't none of us perfect.

That being said, his "Princeton Review of Books" line was pretty funny.

[RyanMcD29]

I wish they'd finally get the ball rolling with this, but all in all I don't care where in the NYC area they go as long as they stay here. I'm personally hoping that Queens and Brooklyn (Barclay's Center) have something on the table because that might be the best option for the team at this point.

[nyk]

Now that the Barclays Center is starting to look like more of a reality I hope that would become Wang's 2nd option whether its him as the owner or selling the team to someone in the NYC area who is interested. I believe the Nets wouldnt mind sharing the arena at all with the Islanders. Also they would remain on Long Island.

[DustDevil61]

Just to get us back on topic here, I don't like seeing any team moving, certainly not any team that has a well established history in a locale. That being said, the NY/NJ area is well represented in Hockey terms, especially if you go a bit further into upstate NY as well, you've got the Rangers, Devils, Sabres and Islanders all fighting over fans. And in an economic downturn thats tough.

Which is a reason why I'd consider moving them to Hartford if they must leave the immediate New York area; I've heard from someone that they could keep their colors, rename themselves the Whalers, and the two teams would have a shared history. That way, they wouldn't entirely alienate their fanbase while returning the NHL to a former city. It's not the best thing to happen, but, considering a possible move to Kansas City, it would be much easier on the fans in Long Island.

[crashcarson15]

Saintsfan, just because I'm like this it'd be filled for about 80 nights not 160 but anyways I think the Barclays Center is the best solution right now for the Isles if not then KC or Houston based on the fact they have arenas ready unlike Hartford. Hartford would be a great place for them to land though.

[Jer15]

The poor Islanders, they've always been the neglected child of the NHL. Heck, the only reason New York got a 2nd team was in order to stop the WHA from being successful in New York.

I have no strong feelings either way if the Islanders move, but the fact is at least they have an owner who wants to keep the team and wants to keep them in the market. After all this stuff about Basillie and then NHL fighting, plus "Boots" somehow getting Nashville, and It wasn't all that long ago when there were rumors of the Oilers moving, it's nice to see an owner trying to keep things going.

[ElwoodCuse]

Hartford is a worse arena/market than Uniondale, why on earth would they move there?

Kansas City would be the betting favorite, followed by Houston and then further down, Vegas.

If they go west, I can't wait to see Detroit and Columbus fight about who gets to come east. Good god, imagine a division of the Pens, Flyers, Rangers, Devils, and Red Wings.

[tBBP]

Having been up to New Haven and up to Hartford a few times, it sure seems to me that should the Isles move up to Hartford (hypothetically speaking), they'd be right at home. Most of CT feels like an extension of NY to me anyways, except maybe the far northeast, and I ain't been up there to know. But I've been wrong before.

But here's the other question I have: say the Isles, or any team for that matter, do move to KC. Suffice it to say the town is going to want that team to be the Scouts 2.0. Here's my question: is that name and those colors still owned by the Devils franchise or no? (For that matter, is the Colorado Rockies name still owned by that franchise? I've always wondered that.)

[BigMac12]

If they go west, I can't wait to see Detroit and Columbus fight about who gets to come east. Good god, imagine a division of the Pens, Flyers, Rangers, Devils, and Red Wings.

Detroit would still be the front runners.

Back on topic, I really hate to see the Islanders move. But they need more than a renovated Coliseum.

[Don]

The Islanders do have a good fanbase that has been neglected over the years. Let Wang sell the team to someone who will keep them in NY and run them the right way. Its a great franchise with a rich history, it would be a shame if they were the only franchise in sports to win a Championship yet move away.

[rams80]

The Islanders do have a good fanbase that has been neglected over the years. Let Wang sell the team to someone who will keep them in NY and run them the right way. Its a great franchise with a rich history, it would be a shame if they were the only franchise in sports to win a Championship yet move away.

They aren't. And Wang would like to keep them in NYC, which is why this is only becoming an issue now.

[crashcarson15]

If they go west, I can't wait to see Detroit and Columbus fight about who gets to come east. Good god, imagine a division of the Pens, Flyers, Rangers, Devils, and Red Wings.

Detroit would still be the front runners.

Back on topic, I really hate to see the Islanders move. But they need more than a renovated Coliseum.

Still I don't get why they wouldn't go geographically...

That said they do need more than a renovated Coliseum they need a new arena somewhere.

[The_Admiral]

But here's the other question I have: say the Isles, or any team for that matter, do move to KC. Suffice it to say the town is going to want that team to be the Scouts 2.0. Here's my question: is that name and those colors still owned by the Devils franchise or no? (For that matter, is the Colorado Rockies name still owned by that franchise? I've always wondered that.)

Looking around the other leagues, the precedent seems to be that the intellectual property remains with the team unless someone (league or government) strips it from them to award to another team. The Hurricanes can't legally wear Whalers throwbacks because Connecticut owns the rights. On the other hand, the Coyotes own all things Winnipeg Jets (and would be wise to sell all things Winnipeg Jets since it might actually make them a buck). On a third mutant hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder kinda have the rights to the Supersonics but kinda don't.

I was under the impression that the Texas Rangers still held the Washington Senators' trademarks, precluding the Nationals from becoming the Senators, but then the Nationals somehow acquired the Curly W (for the worse). That's a good question about the name, but I'm sure the Devils retain the logos, as well as those of the Scouts. The Devils probably choose to forget they were once the Kansas City Scouts. I don't think it's automatic that a fans would want a new KC team to be the Scouts. They sucked for two years in the mid-1970s and then disappeared from memory forever, kind of like a bad game show.

[njmeadowlanders]

That being said, the NY/NJ area is well represented in Hockey terms, especially if you go a bit further into upstate NY as well, you've got the Rangers, Devils, Sabres and Islanders all fighting over fans. And in an economic downturn thats tough.

Not to be that guy, but Buffalo is farther than Boston, Pittsburgh, Philly, and Washington. That's 4 other NHL cities. Just because it's in New York State doesn't mean they have any following in the NY Metro area. The only people here who are Sabre fans would be just like anyone who was a fan of another team in another city. They get ZERO coverage, because they're just way too far away to be relevant here.

[tp49]

Wang and Rechler are being far too arrogent for their own good.

The Lighthouse project as Wang currently envisons it is incredibly flawed and is also terribly out of place for the region. First, the area does not need any additional retail. There are two major shopping malls within two miles of the Colisseum site. There are also two major retail corridors on Old Country Road and Hempstead Turnpike. Wang's mall will not add retail to the area and more likely than not will take away from the established retail already in the area. I'd be more on board with the additional retail if Wang came out saying he already had retail tennants committed to the Lighthouse. He has not.

The idea of a renovated NVMC also is not enough. The building needs to be leveled and a new arena needs to take its place. For years the deterioration of the arena has been a major issue. Considering the county has failed to spend money to fix the building over the years any renovation would have to be a complete gutting and by that point it would be best to just build the a new building. I think it was short sighted of Wang to only propose a renovation when it is plainly clear that a completely new building needs to be built.

A lot of the posturing is political between the Nassau County government run by Democrats and the Town of Hempstead which is run by the Republicans. Also, suprise, suprise both the Countywide office holders (County Executive, DA, County Clerk, etc.) and the entier County Legislature is up for re-elaction as are the Town of Hempstead Supervisor and at least three of the Town Board members.

The reality is this if Wang wants the project to go through he sould have it go in stages. The Town has already said that if the proposal were just for a new arena this would have been a done deal years ago. Wang and his partner Rechler would be wiser to make the initial proposal for the arena and the Marriott which they also own and maybe a portion of the retail he wants. Next in a second stage would come in the housing, etc.

In the most recent hearing before the Town Board when qestioned Wang's traffic expert appeared unprepared to answer the board's questions regarding the impact this project would have particularly on Hempstead Turnpike which is a road that is already at capacity.

It is a rare day that I would say anything good about what's being done over at Clown Hall in Hempstead but in this instance they're right. Wang would have had his arena and at least a portion of his project approved had he been willing to compromise and stage the project. I would also say as a die hard Islander fan for over twenty-five years that Wang's ownership while stable has produced nothing. The franchise is a laughing stock and as he claims to be frustrated with TOH, I'm quite frankly frustrated with him. There is a rabid fan base on Long Island but due to the condition of the franchise and the arena for the past decade they've stayed at home. Can't say I blame them. Put a quality product on the ice and the fans will return to NVMC in droves.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

Wang and Rechler are being far too arrogent for their own good.

The Lighthouse project as Wang currently envisons it is incredibly flawed and is also terribly out of place for the region. First, the area does not need any additional retail. There are two major shopping malls within two miles of the Colisseum site. There are also two major retail corridors on Old Country Road and Hempstead Turnpike. Wang's mall will not add retail to the area and more likely than not will take away from the established retail already in the area. I'd be more on board with the additional retail if Wang came out saying he already had retail tennants committed to the Lighthouse. He has not.

The idea of a renovated NVMC also is not enough. The building needs to be leveled and a new arena needs to take its place. For years the deterioration of the arena has been a major issue. Considering the county has failed to spend money to fix the building over the years any renovation would have to be a complete gutting and by that point it would be best to just build the a new building. I think it was short sighted of Wang to only propose a renovation when it is plainly clear that a completely new building needs to be built.

A lot of the posturing is political between the Nassau County government run by Democrats and the Town of Hempstead which is run by the Republicans. Also, suprise, suprise both the Countywide office holders (County Executive, DA, County Clerk, etc.) and the entier County Legislature is up for re-elaction as are the Town of Hempstead Supervisor and at least three of the Town Board members.

The reality is this if Wang wants the project to go through he sould have it go in stages. The Town has already said that if the proposal were just for a new arena this would have been a done deal years ago. Wang and his partner Rechler would be wiser to make the initial proposal for the arena and the Marriott which they also own and maybe a portion of the retail he wants. Next in a second stage would come in the housing, etc.

In the most recent hearing before the Town Board when qestioned Wang's traffic expert appeared unprepared to answer the board's questions regarding the impact this project would have particularly on Hempstead Turnpike which is a road that is already at capacity.

It is a rare day that I would say anything good about what's being done over at Clown Hall in Hempstead but in this instance they're right. Wang would have had his arena and at least a portion of his project approved had he been willing to compromise and stage the project. I would also say as a die hard Islander fan for over twenty-five years that Wang's ownership while stable has produced nothing. The franchise is a laughing stock and as he claims to be frustrated with TOH, I'm quite frankly frustrated with him. There is a rabid fan base on Long Island but due to the condition of the franchise and the arena for the past decade they've stayed at home. Can't say I blame them. Put a quality product on the ice and the fans will return to NVMC in droves.

Quoted. For. Truth.

Pretty much sums up what needs to be said about this.