The news spread quickly yesterday morning that the 40 years of Islanders tradition the organization has brought to Long Island officially will move 29 miles west to Brooklyn from Uniondale, the only home the team has known since they dropped the puck in October 1972.
The move and 25-year commitment to play at the Barclays Center, beginning in 2015, was the topic of conversation in the locker room at Iceworks, the Islanders practice facility in Syosset.
Fans of the Islanders and a few Rangers supporters had mixed views of the situation before skating and shooting pucks in the Islanders coaches hockey clinic. The practice started just an hour before the 1 p.m. press conference at the Barclays Center, where Islanders history would be forever altered.
“Nassau County just couldn’t get it together,” said Islanders fan Dan D’onofrio, 37, of Floral Park. “It’s not as bad as everybody thinks. … At least they’re not going to Kansas City, Quebec or Moose Jaw, Sasketchewan. We’ll just have to adjust.”
Ralph Marchionna, 39, of Lake Grove, had a 15-game season ticket plan last year, and regularly brought his kids to the Islanders games — carrying on a family tradition from when he was young, which built his support for the team to this day.
“I think it could be good for the team. For the die-hard fans in Suffolk, going to Brooklyn is really not an option,” Marchionna said. “If they sell out tickets and improve the team on the ice, I can live with not going to many games. I’m glad they stayed in the general area. I’m sure this is best for the franchise. It will be hard to get there with kids. I’ll try to get to some games though.”
Rangers fan Joe Dunne, 45, from Massapequa, saw the move differently.
“It’s a bad move,” he said. “I grew up in Queens as a diehard Rangers fan. It was the biggest rivalry against the Islanders.
“They have no history in Brooklyn. It’s like a new franchise. Nobody will go there. It’s not going to solve anything. Looks at the Devils, they have a brand new arena in Newark, they’re competitive every year, and nobody goes.
“It’s bad for Long Island. Taxes go up, there’s no team here, [people] lose jobs, and I can’t blame [Islanders owner Charles] Wang whatsoever. He tried and tried, but it was the politicians, who hopefully won’t get re-elected. It’s just a bad move. I won’t go the Brooklyn.”