Tale Of Two Arenas

Ah the hockey arena. A place where people come together of the great sport of ice hockey. Doesn't matter whether its pee wee or the NHL, hockey is hockey. At the pro level, an arena is everything. It can mean a lot come playoff time, as home ice advantage can be huge. In the case of the New York Islanders, they got two buildings they call home: Barclays Center in Brooklyn and NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Even though Barclays is the nicer of the two rinks, the Coliseum is where it should be at for the Islanders home games.

Up until early December all home games had been played at Barclays, now they're splitting games between there and the Coliseum. After the Isles host the Oilers on February 16th at Barclays, the remainder of the home games are being played at the Coliseum, where it quite honestly belongs. The records should be an indication of that. As of this writing, the Isles are 5-1-1 on Long Island, and 9-6-2 in Brooklyn. Yes I know the attendance is low. As a matter of fact, its the lowest in the entire league. According to the Associated press, in seven games at the Coliseum, the Isles draw an average 13,568 fans. Four of the games have been sellouts of 13,917. They have drawn an average of 10,788 with no sellouts at Barclays Center, which has a capacity of 15,795. Overall, the Islanders are last among the 31 NHL teams with an average attendance of 11,599. The arena I think plays a big factor in that.

Lets face facts, Barclays is a concert hall and basketball arena, not a hockey rink. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful that the Isles were able to get to play games in Brooklyn, because it kept them where they belong here in New York. The sightlines suck, its a pain in the rear end to try and get to the building and the ice is horrible, from what I've heard, for a game to be played on. The plus side is the food is plentyful and the arena is beautiful. Other then that, it doesn't offer a whole hell of a lot for hockey.

The Coliseum has its upsides. Sure it is a small rink. But its got good sightlines for a hockey game and an expanded concourse inside the building. It maybe small by NHL standards but it has done wonders for us Islanders fans. Its an intimate place to play that's really rough on opposing teams. Most of the players, from what I've read and heard, are happier at the Coliseum. Its closer to home and easier to get to games and its a better place to play. Just by watching games on TV, you can hear the difference coming through the screen. The sound level is off the charts, that's how loud the place can get.

The debate is going on as to where home games will be played, should the Isles make the playoffs. As of this writing, the Islanders sit atop the Metro division, holding a three point lead over the Washington Capitals. Should the team hang on to this top spot, a wild card spot, or something in between, no area has been named to where they can start playing. Common sense dictates that it should be played where it always belonged, the Coliseum.

Again there's no real knock on Barclays, it really is a nice building. The Coliseum is where it should be played at. Keep this rolling till the new building is built and keep them at their real home here on Long Island!