Just in case there needed to be another reminder, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reiterated that there is almost no chance the Islanders will ever return to the renovated Nassau Coliseum.
“I don’t view Nassau Coliseum as a viable option,” Bettman said Friday at Citi Field during a press conference for the Winter Classic, this next outdoor New Year’s Day game set to be played there between the Rangers and Sabres. “Again, I don’t view it that way. Certainly not now.”
The Islanders are playing one preseason game there Sept. 17 against the Flyers, but that’s it — and Bettman didn’t seem to eager to talk any more about it.
“I don’t think that makes a lot of sense,” he said. “But ultimately, whether or not the Islanders want to consider it and bring it to the league is something that you’d have to ask them about. But my gut reaction is it’s not a viable option.”
There was also little question about how the league feels concerning the Islanders current home at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Bettman reiterated the point the Islanders have “very good options” for possibly moving in the not-too-distant future, as they are likely to opt out of their lease agreement with Barclays Center this January. One of those options could be developing a new arena at Belmont Park, as majority owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin refine their proposal plan which is due to the state no later than Sept. 28.
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“Without commenting on the specifics on any of their options, I do think the Islanders have options, very good options, and they’re in the process of evaluating what makes the most sense for the franchise and particularly for their fans,” Bettman said.
During the Islanders’ process of exploring this Belmont site, they have consulted with Oak View Group, a development group backed by Madison Square Garden, as well as Sterling Project Development, run by the Mets. The Mets COO, Jeff Wilpon, also wouldn’t get too much into the specifics of the Belmont bid, but did agree with Bettman that the Islanders have a few options outside of Brooklyn.
“We represent and are working with the Islanders, and it’s their call,” Wilpon said. “Like the commissioner said, they have a bunch of good options, and we’re going to play them all out and see what happens.”
The biggest question with a new arena would be if the New York market could sustain another sports venue. Wilpon’s Citi Field has started playing host to more and more concerts, but said that he would “let the commissioner and the Islanders speak for that.” Bettman was quite a bit more candid.
“That’s all part of evaluation the options. My own belief is, yes,” he said.
Yet one of those options will not be the Coliseum. Now run by the group led by Bruce Ratner — the developer of Barclays Center before selling the majority stake to Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov — the Coliseum recently reopened after a $165 million renovation, which reduced the number of seats to a capacity far too small to be even a season-long home for an NHL franchise. In July, county politicians foolishly began beating the drum for the unrealistic goal of the Islanders returning.
Having already struck out with his promise to bring six Islanders games back to Long Island — and in doing so, contractually had to pay a $1 million penalty — the idea of the Islanders returning to the Coliseum for any period of time was met with Bettman’s disdain.