As I write this, Nassau County residents are turning out in droves to vote to save their beloved Islanders and keep them in Long Island in a new stadium. Oh wait, did I say that? What I meant was, almost no one is voting. As of 6:30 p.m., voter turnout is very low. Now, there are still two and a half hours until polls close, so there might be a post-workday rush. Time will tell.
Voters are reportedly split on whether or not a new stadium should be built. On the one hand, they don't want to pay any more in taxes to pay for the stadium. On the other hand, developing the area with a new stadium might bring a fresh influx of money. But the Islanders have some of the lowest fan turnout at games of any NHL team, so something has to give for them to bring in money.
How this will impact Nassau County residents isn't so much the point of this blog, though. What I'm interested in is how this will affect the Rangers and New York City hockey as a whole. If the Islanders move very far away, the Rangers lose a rival that fans love to hate, and Rangers-Islanders games at MSG would be far less exciting. Now, the Islanders might not go far. Some say it's possible they would move to Brooklyn's new stadium, but that stadium isn't equipped, as MSG is, to transform easily from a basketball floor to an ice hockey rink. It is also possible they would move to another place in Brooklyn or Queens. However, many die-hard Rangers fans aren't too keen on the idea of the Islanders trying to claim a piece of the New York City hockey pie. That doesn't mean it couldn't happen anyway, but New York City residents would be no more likely to shell out tax dollars to pay for another stadium than Long Islanders -- hell, they're probably a lot less likely. Yet another option for the Islanders is moving to Connecticut or another nearby state in the Northeast that lacks a hockey team and could use the revenue. But the further away the Islanders move (with whatever new name they would acquire), the more it would strip New York of another great rivalry. And if the Islanders do move very far away, it might compel more Long Islanders to make the trip to MSG to watch hockey... which would increase attendance at Rangers games (a plus), but drive up prices because of increased demand (a minus).
On the whole, it would be best for NYC hockey if the Islanders stayed put. We would keep our favorite rivalry and not have to risk Long Island sticking its fingers into our turf. But it's not up to us, is it?
How absurd is it, as an aside, that the new arena at the Navy Yards in Brooklyn won't be well-equipped to host hockey? I mean, obviously things like Icecapades and Figure Skating will always take place at the Garden, but NYC supports a ton of sports teams and even a minor league ball team in Brooklyn. I'm certain Brooklyn could support an AHL or even an ECHL hockey team at the new arena.
ReplyDeleteI hope the Islanders stick around, even as a Devils fan I think we all thrive off of the great Devils-Rangers-Islanders rivalry. Losing the Islanders would lessen the quality of hockey all around the area.
With any luck they'll move to Queens or maybe they'll bring back the Whale and move the team to Hartford. I would not like to see them move to Quebec or Kansas City.
Agreed, Rich. It does seem a waste that the new stadium won't support hockey. And, if necessary, I would not be opposed to a return of the Hartford Whale -- CT could use a team.
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