Isles already have eyes on new home

Belmont Park, Land Near Citi Field Most Likely Landing Spots

April 26, 2017 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Isles veteran Cal Clutterbuck has been one of the most vocal critics of the ice at Downtown’s Barclays Center during the team’s tenure in the arena. AP photo by Gerry Broome

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Perhaps NHL stands for Not Here Long when it comes to the Islanders and their turbulent relationship with Downtown’s Barclays Center.

Last Friday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told the Associated Press’ sports editors that the Brooklyn-based NHL franchise will submit a bid to the state for a new hockey arena located alongside Belmont Park.

Bettman also added that the land adjacent to Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, was an option for the Islanders, who are reportedly on the verge of a split with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, which currently controls both the Barclays and the Isles’ former home, the Nassau Coliseum.

Neither the Isles’ hierarchy, nor Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment have commented on the potential split as of yet.

“Yes, there is an [request for proposal] for Belmont and I know they are going to participate in that,” Bettman said to the AP editors in New York, according to Newsday.

“I believe that everyone thinks there is a terrific opportunity there, if not at Willets Point, to create a more hockey friendly environment for the Islanders, which is something [Isles co-owner] Scott [Malkin] is committed to do,” he added.

Originally announced by former owner and Brooklyn Tech High School alum Charles Wang as an iron-clad 25-year contract that would make Barclays Center the Isles’ new home after they spent their first 43 years of existence on Long Island, the pact actually offered out options for both sides.

If they so choose, the Isles can leave Brooklyn following the 2017-’18 campaign and Barclays can boot the franchise out after the 2018-’19 season.

Apparently, BS&E is not looking forward to paying out upwards of $50 million (now closer to $53 million) to the Isles following each season, as per parameters of the agreement.

Also, the arena, not originally built to host a hockey team, has had significant issues with ice conditions, obstructed-view seating and overall home attendance, which ranked 28th out of 30 teams in the league last season at 13,101 per game.

The New York Cosmos, who are currently playing their home games at Coney Island’s MCU Park, proposed a 25,000-seat soccer stadium at Belmont last year, only to be denied.

Malkin and fellow co-owner Jon Ledecky are doubtlessly hoping their plans will be accepted, be it at Belmont or Willets Point.

The Isles’ perceived discomfort with playing at Barclays began as early as the first exhibition staged here against the New Jersey Devils in September of 2013, when players cited the porous ice conditions.

“Whether the ice is good or bad, both teams have to play on it,” then-Isles head coach Jack Capuano noted. “I’m sure they’re trying to do the best they can here, and I’ll leave it at that.”

The Barclays Center did leave it at that.

Rather than committing to a costly shutdown of the arena for a pipe renovation, replacing the current plastic fixtures with steel, Barclays has remained with the status quo, forcing players to deal with the at-times slushy conditions.

The shoddy ice may have bit the Isles at the worst possible time when team captain and two-time Hart Trophy finalist John Tavares was forced to miss the final five games of New York’s late-season playoff push after suffering a hamstring injury after getting his skate caught in a rut behind the net.

Isles veteran forward Cal Clutterbuck has been one of the most vocal critics of the Barclays ice, and was adamant that it played a role in the injury to Tavares, who will become a free agent following next season.

“You see a guy’s heel dig in like that, it doesn’t happen other places,” Clutterbuck told Newsday following the Isles’ game that night.

“It’s something that doesn’t get addressed.”

Barclays likely stands to profit from the Isles’ eventual relocation, using some of those 41 home dates to fill the venue with concerts, pro boxing cards and mixed-martial arts events.

The Isles hope they find greener pastures and better ice, of course, at Belmont or right next to Citi Field in the years to come.

For now, both sides will have to stand pat as the Isles are locked into the 2017-’18 campaign in Brooklyn.

It might very well be their last here.

Isle Have Another: Veteran Isles defenseman Travis Hamonic was named a finalist for the NHL Foundation Player Award on Tuesday, citing his Hamonic’s D-Partner Program for Children. The 26-year-old blue liner has spent the past five years supporting grieving kids after losing his own father to a heart attack when he was 5 years old. “It’s obviously pretty humbling, but you do this work not to be recognized, so I guess it’s with a lot of humility,” Hamonic said Wednesday. “You’re doing this work and your focus is to try and do good for other people, not for yourself. It’s kind of a different award to be nominated for.”