I thought I read the Barclays Center will only hold about 14K for hockey

13,773
12,735
11,059
13,191

They’ll fit.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/24/12 at 11:57 AM ET

  I thought I read the Barclays Center will only hold about 14K for hockey

13,773
12,735
11,059
13,191

They’ll fit.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/24/12 at 11:57 AM ET

They will indeed.

But whether this will put the team in a profitable position and be a significant improvement over its place on the ‘Isle, is unclear. Luxury box revenue will undoubtedly increase, though.

Posted by shazam88 from SoCal on 10/24/12 at 12:45 PM ET

Brooklyn Islanders has a better ring to it.

At least now they may get some sell-outs on the books.

Posted by HockeytownOverhaul on 10/24/12 at 12:59 PM ET

13,773
12,735
11,059
13,191

They’ll fit.

And I salute those Islander fans that show up to see Mr. Wang’s Flying Circus.

Posted by mc keeper on 10/24/12 at 01:14 PM ET

Even though the two arenas are only about 20 miles apart, the shift really radically changes the geographical accessibility for potential attendees.

Nassau is reasonably accessible by car (big parking lots, just off the highway, well within an hour from pretty much anywhere in NYC in normal traffic) but a major, major pain to get to by public transit from just about anywhere—we’re talking multiple bus transfers, 1.5 - 2.5 hours or more from anywhere in the city, and often an hour or more even from as nearby as just 10-15 miles away.

The Barclay’s Center is basically impossible to get to by car (there’s literally nowhere to park), and would be a pain to get to from Nassau and Suffolk counties by public transport, too. But if your starting point is virtually anywhere in NYC proper, the subway will get you there in a breeze.

Big winners: Residents of NYC or anyone lucky enough to be on a fast, direct bus line to the subway system.

Big Losers: People in Nassau and Suffolk counties who own cars.

So yeah, my guess is that it is probably going to be a positive move financially for the team, since now they become a much more attractive option for fans and/or businesses based in New York City, even if most of that extra business is from casuals who only bought in because they couldn’t score Rangers tickets instead.

Posted by Sven22 from Grand Rapids on 10/24/12 at 01:17 PM ET

Posted by Sven22 from Grand Rapids on 10/24/12 at 01:17 PM ET

People in the suburbs of Nassau on the island are in decent shape with the LIRR. Except for the part how the LIRR is a total turd. Whoops.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 10/24/12 at 01:23 PM ET

Kudos to Paul once again for the ignore feature. Thanks!

Posted by redxblack from Akron Ohio on 10/24/12 at 01:36 PM ET

But whether this will put the team in a profitable position and be a significant improvement over its place on the ‘Isle, is unclear. Luxury box revenue will undoubtedly increase, though.

I can’t imagine how a new (to them) arena could be any worse than Nassau was.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/24/12 at 01:59 PM ET

This is a great move by the Islanders.  The days of the suburban arena are gone.  People want to go to a game after work.

People want to have a few drinks at a game.  with todays war on DWI public transit is essential.

Especially public transit that stops under the arena.

Posted by 13 user names on 10/24/12 at 06:26 PM ET

Nassau and Suffolk counties by public transport

LIRR stops right AT the Barclay center. Take into account how many people from Nassau county in particular work in the 5 boroughs and you have a lot more access.  The Islanders mid-week 7:00 PM starts were pretty tough to make considering the parking lot all of the major roadways were during rush hour as well. Car will be a nightmare, but I know I can park within a mile or two and take the subway a few stops if it came to that.

The seating capacity is low, but the luxury box capacity is MUCH higher. That is where the team will make a lot more of their money as well. Wouldn’t be surpirsed to see them retrofit another 500 seats into the plan either. Wang won’t have the debt of financing a new stadium and the new stadium is in walking distance from where he went to high school.

The Islanders are now playing only a few minutes from the actual site of the “Battle of Long Island” where George Washington first took on the redcoats, so this is truly a Long Island story and no need for a name change. You may need to educate a few people that Brooklyn is on an island, but there are always a few slow ones in the bunch.

Posted by hockey1919 from mid-atlantic on 10/25/12 at 11:03 AM ET