This past decade, the New York Islander fan base has been through the wringer. They’ve watched helplessly as politicians condemned their building on their way to evicting their team. Couple this with five consecutive last place finishes in their division, and it makes sense why the fans reacted they way they did as the Isles competed with His Majesty Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in round one of the NHL Playoffs.
It was a cathartic exhale.
Now that the Islanders have been eliminated, their off ice issues will come to the forefront. The most intriguing news surrounding the Isles is their move to The Barclays Center, 30 miles west of Nassau Coliseum.
(Just a quick geography lesson before moving on, Brooklyn is technically on Long Island. It isn’t a part of Long Island the place, but it is on Long Island the land mass. One of those, a rhombus is a square but a square isn’t a rhombus type of things.)
When asked how they feel about the move, every Islander fan has the same reaction. It will be tough to see the team vacate the tragically misunderstood Nassau Coliseum, but at the same time the move will be good for the team and they will be able to compete. It also means that for the first time in Islander History, fans will be able to take the train to games.
It also gave Islander fans a chance to come to terms with the move and say goodbye to their beloved Coliseum.
What Islander fans didn’t see coming is that the team may have have plans to skip town a year early and begin playing at the Barclays Center in 2014-2015.
Today, The Barclays Center may have confirmed those details in an odd fashion.
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/barclayscenter/status/334430602604466176″]
NHL 15 is due to come out in September, 2014, just before the beginning of the 2014-15 NHL Season. Does this mean that the Isles have been given the green light to move a year early?
Whatever the case may be, Islander fans just want to see this saga come to a happy ending, they deserve it.
About Michael Leboff