The Islanders are headed back to Nassau Coliseum… for one game.
The team announced on Thursday morning that they would host the Philadelphia Flyers on September 17 at 1 p.m. at the Nassau Coliseum. The game will be the Islanders first game their former home since they moved to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2015.
Tickets for the exhibition game will go on sale on June 29 at 10 p.m.
The lease that Nassau Events Center, which is part of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and runs the renovated Coliseum, signed with Nassau County calls for two Islanders preseason games to be played there. The 2013 lease also includes a requirement that four regular season games be played there as well.
.@edmangano spokesman says new Nassau Coliseum operator will have to pay $1 million penalty for not providing six Isles games as promised.
— Jim Baumbach (@jimbaumbach) June 15, 2017
The preseason game at Nassau Coliseum comes with plenty of baggage attached to it.
The Islanders are in the process of renegotiating the team’s lease at Barclays Center, while also planning to submit a proposal to build a new arena at Belmont Park. The team is waiting for New York State, which owns the land at Belmont, to release a request for proposal.
READ: Bettman Says Islanders Will Bid to Develop Belmont Site
It has also been reported that the Barclays Center had been preparing a pitch to Islanders ownership to move the team back to Nassau Colisuem, which underwent a $165-million renovation. The renovated venue seats 13,000 for hockey, but can add more seats if needed.
The September preseason game will likely be well attended by the Islanders Long Island based fan base, which still have plenty who long to see the Islanders return to its original home. Issues with obstructed view seating and bad ice at Barclays Center have added to some people’s discontent with the Islanders current home rink.
The Islanders and Barclays Center have also had a contentious relationship since the team moved to Brooklyn in 2015.
The last time the Islanders took the ice at Nassau Coliseum was back on April 25, 2015 for Game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals 3-1 to force a Game 7 in the series and send their fans home with one final memory at the Coliseum.
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