Islanders will relocate to Brooklyn in 2015

[glen a richter]

This begs the question: What happens first? The lockout ends or the Islanders play a regular season game at the Barclays?

[dmiles2186]

Maybe people will actually show up to the games now. Thought it was funny that on the day this was announced, the Knicks and Nets played an exhibition game at Nassau Coliseum. I've heard the sight lines for hockey at Barclay's aren't the greatest, but as long as the stadium is packed, I doubt the NHL and Charles Wang will care.

[glen a richter]

The seating capacity is a bit low but that's more than okay for the Islanders. Brooklyn is fast becoming the epicenter of everything in New York City. And to think the location of Barclay's used to be a hotbed for hookers and gang shit. Probably still is after sundown. I think they're making a big mistake though, because the allure of the Isles playing at Nassau Coliseum was that you had an arena very easy to drive to which was wonderful for locals. And fact is all Islanders fans are locals. The only way you ever encounter an Islanders fan outside of Long Island is if they're originally from here. I don't really envision the 2000 fans they had left hauling out to Brooklyn, and honestly Brooklyn is much much more of a basketball location than hockey. The Nets will thrive but the Islanders will be hard pressed to fill the seats.

[cprice12]

Will the Islanders change their name? A poll on TSN shows it's about 50/50 on folks thinking they should change their name.
I don't know why they would. They are staying on Long Island... and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is only a 40 minute drive from Nassau Coliseum.

[glen a richter]

Driving to Barclays is suicidal. The train is the only way to go.

[cprice12]

Driving to Barclays is suicidal. The train is the only way to go.

Never been. I was going off of Google Maps.
But either way... I'm not sure why it would even be suggested they change their name. No reason to.

[glen a richter]

Oh yeah I'm sure they've made accommodations to make parking not suck in the area, but driving around Brooklyn is pretty hideous under normal circumstances let alone when there's an event going on. The thing is, Islanders fans have long enjoyed the convenience of driving to Nassau Coliseum. It's an easy access venue, there's a Marriott across the parking lot for after game drinks.

That said, yes it would be completely moronic to change the name on account of Brooklyn is geographically part of Long Island. The people making a big deal about it are from the city and they adamantly refuse to accept the geographical reality. You tell someone from Brooklyn or Queens that they're Long Islanders and they will absolutely jump down your throat.