Isles on their way: NHL franchise to relocate to Barclays Center in 2015
Before the Brooklyn Nets could even hit the hardwood for their first-ever regular-season game at the Barclays Center, the New York Islanders announced Wednesday afternoon that they were moving in to the state-of-the-art arena in 2015.
The relocation of the franchise from Nassau County to our fair borough is a natural fit, as Islanders owner Charles Wang grew up in Brooklyn and attended Brooklyn Tech High School.
After years of trying in vain to get a new arena deal in Uniondale, N.Y., Wang couldn’t resist the opportunity to bring his struggling franchise to the corners of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues in the hopes of elevating its profile in the tri-state area, and luring new fans to the organization with one of the lowest yearly attendance averages in the NHL.