The New York Islanders will face the newest NHL franchise, Utah Hockey Club, on Thursday in their season opener. The roster is mostly the same as last season’s Arizona Coyotes, but they are beginning a new era of hockey in Utah.
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The game will be held at UBS Arena (opened in 2021), the type of setting Arizona needed but never had in their time in the desert. It’s not a perfect arena, considering the traffic and commutes to and from the games, but it’s a state-of-the-art facility and a sign that the Islanders are here to stay on Long Island. Not long ago, the team was in a similar boat to Utah, which shows how important ownership is in building a team’s long-term success.
Islanders’ Previous Arena Issues
The Islanders are a historic and iconic NHL franchise. They were part of the 1970s expansion era and built one of the greatest dynasties in league history, winning four-consecutive Stanley Cup titles, the last being in 1983. The fanbase has always been loyal, showing support through the tough times, even as the generation that witnessed the last title starts to dwindle.
The team’s biggest problem after their winning era was the arena. While Nassau Coliseum was loved by fans and goes hand-in-hand with the team’s former success, the place was outdated. The Islanders needed a new arena and, like any team, they needed to work with Nassau County and the government to make it happen. The county rejected municipal bonds in the early 2000s, and locals didn’t want an arena in their neighborhood (ultimately, the Islanders built UBS Arena in Elmont, which is surrounded by a residential area which made the approval a contested one).
The team was also struggling and wasn’t competitive, which made relocation an intriguing option for the ownership group. It might seem crazy to picture the Islanders somewhere else, but they had offers from other cities.
Alex Meruelo Lets Arizona Fanbase Down
Hockey should have stayed in the desert. The Coyotes didn’t have a longstanding history in Arizona, yet they had a strong fanbase that was waiting for a competitive team and a new arena, just like many teams. The problem is their owner was looking to cut corners and couldn’t convince the public that an arena would help the city.
The first warning sign with owner Alex Meruelo was the Gila River Arena lockout in 2021. He missed payments to the city of Glendale, and…
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