New York Islanders Transition from Long Island to Barclays

For the last several seasons, the New York Islanders have been somewhat forgotten by casual hockey fans. Of course the fans of the franchise are going to live and die by the team, but everyone else has viewed them as a squad looking for some type of identity. All of a sudden, they now look like one of the hottest franchises in the NHL with a move to Brooklyn on the horizon and a young and talented team. It certainly will be an exciting time after years of mediocrity.

Most teams who have change on the horizon seem to focus on making the roster as good as possible when that change happens. A lot of new excitement is going to be surrounding Brooklyn when the Islanders (or maybe another name) start playing there. However, it is nice to see that those loyal fans out on Long Island are getting an opportunity to see a legitimate Stanley Cup contender fight every single night before they are gone.

This team really looks like they are something special, as people in fantasy hockey like the way standouts such as John Tavares, Jaro Halak and Travis Hamonic are playing. It seems like an entire team effort, and in a pretty mediocre Eastern conference, anything can happen as long as they get into the playoffs while things are going well.

Eventually, the Islanders are going to move to a fancy, state of the art arena, and new fans are going to adopt them as their NHL team. However, there is something to be said for this final run with a pretty talented core group of players. They might not be as talented as that dynasty three decades ago that really helped to build this franchise, but a memorable playoff run could make the move a little bit more tolerable.

NHL Islanders moving to Brooklyn after 2014-15 season

Here is an interesting story, the New York Islanders are moving from Long Island to Brooklyn and will play in a Barclays Center after the 2014-15 season.

Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider --- The familiar refrain for most sports fans in the United States when it comes to trying to figure out some of the things the NHL does has always been, "it’s hockey."

That would explain how, in the middle of the NHL’s third lockout under commissioner Gary Bettman, in which the season is in peril and there are no collective bargaining talks scheduled, the league would announce a franchise transfer.

The New York Islanders, according to the New York Post, New York Daily News and TSN, will announce Wednesday they are moving to Brooklyn to play in Barclays Center when their lease at Nassau Coliseum expires after 2014-15.

Say it ain't so - the NHL is heading to Brooklyn newsday.com/sports/hockey/…
— Howard Bloom (@SportsBizNews) October 24, 2012

Still no confirmation that #Isles move to Brooklyn in 2015 is a PERMANENT relocation. Could be some news (and spin) at presser.
— Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL) October 24, 2012

Nassau coliseum was awful when I played in it -cannot stay in that building / don't care about seating numbers, similar to wpg #NYIslanders
— Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn) October 24, 2012