Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, looking to protect a $165 million investment in the Nassau Coliseum, is pressuring the New York Islanders to play a significant number of games at the Long Island arena in the 2018-2019 season, The Post has learned.
Prokhorov, who owns Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, also bought the company that under Bruce Ratner promised Nassau County that a professional hockey team would play at the recently renovated suburban arena — a promise that helped the Nassau Events Center in 2013 win a contract to manage the facility.
But no professional hockey team now plays at the 13,900-seat Uniondale, NY, arena and local officials might move soon to hold Prokhorov’s NEC in default, sources tell The Post.
Charles Wang, who owned the Islanders in 2013, had agreed to play some games at the Nassau Coliseum, but sold the team in 2014.
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Barclays Center’s pressure on the Islanders to play some games on Long Island comes as the team — which drew an average crowd of 13,101 last season — and the arena negotiate a new lease at Barclays, a source said. Either side can exit the lease during January 2018.
The NHL has approved a Sept. 17 Islanders preseason game at Nassau Coliseum — but has not addressed the question of whether it would approve regular season games there as well, the source said.
Both Barclays and the Islanders have reasons to want to rework their long-term lease. Barclays would like to lower the back-breaking $55 million a year in guaranteed payments to the team. As for the Islanders, they would like increased flexibility on exiting the lease.
Team owners are said to be looking at building a new arena, perhaps near Belmont racetrack.
The Islanders declined to comment. The NHL did not return calls.