The bottom line is Nassau county had every chance to retain this team. They didnt think they needed to make keeping the isles in Nassau county a priority. Kate Murray and company got what they deserved.........good luck with that property. I love that Wang was able to relocate to brooklyn and give the finger to all those dirty politicians.

Bottom line is any Islander fan who complains about this move is complaining for selfish reasons. This is the best thing that could have happened for this team. Even if they got a new arena in nassau it wouldn't have given this team the exposure it needs like Brooklyn does. Moving to B gives them the exposure they need and they will now bring in that corporate money as well. So god forbid you have to take a train to go to a game. Going to an Islander game will be an event for the first time in a long time. The best is how you hear people saying its almost impossible to get there by train. Its the same facking route to MSG expect you get off at Jamaica and walk 5ft to the next rail that drops you off at the steps of the arena. For every Long Islander who says they won't be going now that they moved to B there will be two new people taking your spot. The way salaries are today teams need that big time exposure and corporate money to survive. They weren't getting neither on the Island with a new building or not. Like somebody said earlier this isn't the 70's or 80's anymore. Adapt or Die!!!
- Vukota

Mick, you're my hero!
But seriously, due to my work schedule and those god-awful 7pm starts, I can only attend the rare Sunday matinee games. Whether it be 5 miles away at the NVMC OR in our shiney new home I'll be there, with bells on! On a related note, I'm SO glad I rent! Major props to the Donger for giving the proverbial FU to ALL the NIMBY's and opponents.......REAP IT!

Bottom line is any Islander fan who complains about this move is complaining for selfish reasons. This is the best thing that could have happened for this team. Even if they got a new arena in nassau it wouldn't have given this team the exposure it needs like Brooklyn does. Moving to B gives them the exposure they need and they will now bring in that corporate money as well. So god forbid you have to take a train to go to a game. Going to an Islander game will be an event for the first time in a long time. The best is how you hear people saying its almost impossible to get there by train. Its the same facking route to MSG expect you get off at Jamaica and walk 5ft to the next rail that drops you off at the steps of the arena. For every Long Islander who says they won't be going now that they moved to B there will be two new people taking your spot. The way salaries are today teams need that big time exposure and corporate money to survive. They weren't getting neither on the Island with a new building or not. Like somebody said earlier this isn't the 70's or 80's anymore. Adapt or Die!!!
- Vukota

Mick, you're my hero!
But seriously, due to my work schedule and those god-awful 7pm starts, I can only attend the rare Sunday matinee games. Whether it be 5 miles away at the NVMC OR in our shiney new home I'll be there, with bells on! On a related note, I'm SO glad I rent! Major props to the Donger for giving the proverbial FU to ALL the NIMBY's and opponents.......REAP IT!

sorry for the double post...hockeycrud running as it's usual fancraptic!

You don't sound bitter, Dee, just a bit sheltered. That big sort-of-triangular thing on the map north/northwest of the Cross Island is the rest of your state. It's not another country. Your team still resides on the southeastern part of that state, it's still well within traveling distance for you with no bridges or tunnels in between, and the team is still called the New York Islanders. Concerns about the building capacity and layout, I can understand until we see how they address those issues. But arguing that Brooklyn is some foreign land and acting like you need to learn another language to go there sounds sort of weak to me.
- UIF

Bro, you're talking about a billionaire and Jayz who owns the nets, Wang and whoever else is involved. The facility can easily be renovated if need be. We were pissing in an outhouse at the coliseum for crying out loud. Maybe now with the star power brooklyn has to offer the isles will FINALLY be able to attract UFAs. Lets see how much Dee's crying when the isles win some playoff series........GUARENTEEEEEEEEE you she'll find a way to the game.

Mick, you're my hero!
But seriously, due to my work schedule and those god-awful 7pm starts, I can only attend the rare Sunday matinee games. Whether it be 5 miles away at the NVMC OR in our shiney new home I'll be there, with bells on! On a related note, I'm SO glad I rent! Major props to the Donger for giving the proverbial FU to ALL the NIMBY's and opponents.......REAP IT!
- 1since40

the Donger.....hahaha im dying.

Bro, you're talking about a billionaire and Jayz who owns the nets, Wang and whoever else is involved. The facility can easily be renovated if need be. We were pissing in an outhouse at the coliseum for crying out loud. Maybe now with the star power brooklyn has to offer the isles will FINALLY be able to attract UFAs. Lets see how much Dee's crying when the isles win some playoff series........GUARENTEEEEEEEEE you she'll find a way to the game.
- kindlyrick

Funny because it's true...

Funny because it's true...
- UIF

EVERYTHING JAYZ touches turns to gold...........wait till all the hip hop artists start rocking the isles jerseys.


Sidenote: i really hope they change the colors to the nets new color. I'd love a dirty black uni

Anyone who's upset about this should have their head examined.

This is a win-win as far as I'm concerned. Reading the local papers and some of the comments from "fans," I wanted to know what drugs they are taking. They are moving to Brooklyn, not Timbuktu. They will have the same name, the same history and the same logo. The only thing that changes is that they play in a World-class, top-of-the-line arena in an area where any player or potential UFA can live in the suburbs or live in Manhattan and not be far from their job.

I rag on Charles Wang a lot, and he, for the most part, deserves every ounce of it. He meddles in personnel moves, he says stupid things in relation to the sport of hockey, he makes a lot of head scratching hires and fires, but this is a decision where I have to give Wang a loud, raucous standing ovation. They are here for another 27 years and now you can take the train (easily, too) to get there. No more drinking and driving for the fans, no more asbestos, no more bottom of the barrel crap.

If you don't want to get on the train, so to say, then stay the hell off it, because if you're gonna use this as an excuse to not be a fan anymore, especially in this day and age of the Internet, then you never were one in the first place. Sayonara, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

In truth, I would have been an Islanders fan no matter where they moved. Could have been Quebec, could have been KC, could have been Japan, I'd still b an Islanders fan. Where'd they go? Brooklyn...yep...Long Island.

Kudos Mr. Wang, you deserve it. I gladly eat the humble pie. This is the best news since the team made its run in '93.

And Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead...I hope you're (frank)ing happy. The Nassau Hub (as they now will call it) will be a dustbowl of low-level housing and mall-like stores. All the local businesses that thrive and make money because a pro team played within its radius will go out of business and hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs will be lost. You're getting killed by the fans, the people and the media, and you deserve every ounce of it you NIMBY, backwards, mother(frank)ers. The NVMC will be leveled within 5 years, guaranteed, and our dump, which WAng offered to rebuild and fund HIMSELF in '07 will be gone and every Isles game, concert, circus, etc. will have to take place somewhere else...a loss for us, a loss for kids and a loss for future generations. Congrats Ms. Murray, you got exactly what you were looking for. Take a bow, and eat another doughnut. Sleep tight.
- potvin05

i approve this message....totally nailed it 100%

The players were probably hoping for something a little further away. Off-season re-cap for the Isles: They acquired Visnovsky but he tried to kill himself so he didn't have to play for them. PA Parenteau bolted the first change he got. The rest of their off-season work? Irrelevant. The Isles are a garbage organization from top to bottom, Wang included. Nut up and relocate to Canada or Seattle.
- trolleytracks

i guess no one told you the news???

The players were probably hoping for something a little further away. Off-season re-cap for the Isles: They acquired Visnovsky but he tried to kill himself so he didn't have to play for them. PA Parenteau bolted the first change he got. The rest of their off-season work? Irrelevant. The Isles are a garbage organization from top to bottom, Wang included. Nut up and relocate to Canada or Seattle.
- trolleytracks

Thanks for the first rounder for Campoli........

the Donger.....hahaha im dying.
- kindlyrick

you shall be fed...Brooklyn style!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-K0eyooQhY

The players were probably hoping for something a little further away. Off-season re-cap for the Isles: They acquired Visnovsky but he tried to kill himself so he didn't have to play for them. PA Parenteau bolted the first change he got. The rest of their off-season work? Irrelevant. The Isles are a garbage organization from top to bottom, Wang included. Nut up and relocate to Canada or Seattle.
- trolleytracks

Why would anyone want to relocate the Islanders to Seattle over Brooklyn?

Brooklyn is 10X the hockey market Seattle is.

you shall be fed...Brooklyn style!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-K0eyooQhY
- 1since40

hahahah im dying..........thats what i thought you meant. Great one

so I'm having trouble understanding the issue Dee is having, having never been to Long Island, maybe someone can explain it to me. Here in Vancouver, if I decided to go to a canucks game, it's a 30-45 minute drive through traffic, then expensive parking costs and a mess on the way home as all the cars leave together and create another traffic jam.

Our public transit is not a direct shot from our house, we'd be looking at about an hour, hour and a half to get downtown to the game.

If I was a canucks fan, this would be absolutely no issue, so why is a 45 minute trip for Dee the end of the world?
- Isles_since_6

you see, dee is "that guy"...shes that spoiled girl everyone hated in school, she complains when the wifi isnt working on an airplane, her problems are everyones problems, she has a hard time putting things into perspective.

what she doesnt realize is that SHE was one of the few lucky ones who lived really close to the coli and yet she took it for granted, never thinking about the other fans who had to come a LONG distance WITHOUT public transportation to watch the team they love. but they never complained, they took it in stride, thats the way the cookie crumbles. she would rather complain about a luxury which she had for decades which she is "losing" than focus on how lucky she was to have that luxury for as long as she did. for some reason she feels a sense of entitlement and that the "brooklyn" fans will always be 2nd fiddle to an "island" fan.

its childish, and quite frankly, this article is an embarrassment.

They better come out to "No Sleep til Brooklyn" each and every game

They better come out to "No Sleep til Brooklyn" each and every game
- NewYawkIslandez

the possibilities are endless....

the possibilities are endless....
- kindlyrick

I am actually waiting for the duet of Jay Z and Beyonce to rap and sing about the Islanders.

We are back on the map baby. Everyone is talking about the Islanders even sports radio. They are going to get way more publicity now.

When the Caps moved from Landover MD to downtown DC, there were some in Maryland who were upset. Can't imagine that anyone would now say they'd rather be in Landover. Nothing like playing in a downtown arena with a vibrant pre and postgame environment.
- MadCap2008

Excellent point.

I have a question.

Why was this such an easy transition into Brooklyn from an NHL franchise relocation point of view?

Seems to me the Rangers would have a much stronger beef with this, then the leafs/sabres would have had with Bassilies proposal to relocate (Coyotes/Penguins/Preds) to Hamilton?

I have heard no talk about even approvals from the NHL. It just seemed to be rubber stamped.

I have a question.

Why was this such an easy transition into Brooklyn from an NHL franchise relocation point of view?

Seems to me the Rangers would have a much stronger beef with this, then the leafs/sabres would have had with Bassilies proposal to relocate (Coyotes/Penguins/Preds) to Hamilton?

I have heard no talk about even approvals from the NHL. It just seemed to be rubber stamped.
- B-Wforever

Due to the close proximity, it isn't a "relocation." It's just changing buildings.

The Islanders already compensated the Rangers for intrusion of territory when they came into the league.

Think of it as if the Leafs moved to a new arena in Mississauga. They wouldn't have to compensate Buffalo.

Due to the close proximity, it isn't a "relocation." It's just changing buildings.

The Islanders already compensated the Rangers for intrusion of territory when they came into the league.

Think of it as if the Leafs moved to a new arena in Mississauga. They wouldn't have to compensate Buffalo.
- Atomic Wedgie

More like the leafs moving to Niagara falls, and in that case I think Buffalo would take exception big time.

I don't know NYC very well, but from a map it really looks like the gm's of the rangers and Isles could almost stare at each other out their respective office windows.

More like the leafs moving to Niagara falls, and in that case I think Buffalo would take exception big time.

I don't know NYC very well, but from a map it really looks like the gm's of the rangers and Isles could almost stare at each other out their respective office windows.
- B-Wforever

not for nothing but does it really make a difference??? We moved we are in a better place everything is good here in NEw York

More like the leafs moving to Niagara falls, and in that case I think Buffalo would take exception big time.

I don't know NYC very well, but from a map it really looks like the gm's of the rangers and Isles could almost stare at each other out their respective office windows.
- B-Wforever

But, the Rangers already got a fee for the Isles being in their territory. They should get another b/c the Isles moved within the same territory they already paid to operate in?

Edit -- not to mention, the Rangers don't seem to care:

http://www.newsday.com/sp...-islanders-move-1.4154904

I've yet to really hear anyone complain about this move. Im confused as to why this move could possibly be thought of as a bad one. The LIRR goes directly across the street from the arena. Its a brand new facility, with another prof sports franchise owned by a billionaire and Jay Z (everything that guy touches turns to gold). The isles literally just moved to a large market being in up and coming brooklyn. Not sure if most have been hiding under a rock, but Brooklyn has really developed in the last few years. For all the suffolk fans crying..........how bout your Ranger fan neighbors who've been taking the LIRR to see their team at MSG for years.

Yes the move is bitter sweet, but its the right move, and to me there is no argument against it.
- kindlyrick

I live on Long Island, have never once driven to a Ranger game in my life, but I'd probably estimate I have been to 400-500 Ranger games in my life by taking the LIRR.

Really no big deal.

The problem as a Long Islander is that Nassau County is going to hell. There is no reason this county shouldn't have a state of the art arena for everything, and now we'll never get it.