The Islanders' home games are presently divided between Brooklyn and Uniondale. Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Philadelphia, and (until 2020) Los Angeles are the only metropolitan regions having a team in each sport that plays within the boundaries of its primary city. The other six major sports have either one or no teams left in their respective cities.
Brooklyn is the more popular venue with more than twice as many season tickets sold as those available at Nassau Coliseum. However, the stadium has been criticized for being outdated and not offering a comfortable environment for fans. It has also been reported that parts of the facility are falling into disrepair while others are being used for other events such as boxing matches and music festivals.
Nassau Coliseum was built in 1972 and has a capacity of 14,000. It is located in West Hempstead, New York, about 20 minutes by car from Manhattan's Central Park.
Uniondale is less popular than Brooklyn but has a similar feeling of nostalgia about it. The stadium was built in 1973 and has a capacity of 16,500. It is located in Uniondale, New York, just 15 minutes by car from Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal.
Islanders home games are played during the regular season at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The team's offices are located in Downtown Brooklyn near the arena.
The New York Islanders are an American professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division. The Islanders play their home games at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The team was founded as the Philadelphia Flyers in 1972 and moved to Long Island to become the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum tenants in 1976. After three seasons, the team relocated to nearby Uniondale, where they have remained since then.
Barclays Center opened its doors in 2012 and has since become one of the premier basketball arenas in the country. The venue can seat up to 21,000 people for hockey games.
Other major sports teams that call Barclays Center home include the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks of the National Football League (NFL), and the WWE. The arena has also hosted various international competitions such as the 2015 World Men's Handball Championship and the 2016 Summer Olympics men's basketball tournament.
About 90 minutes by car from New York City, the team plays in a region known for its many sporting facilities and events. The closest major airport is John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, which is about 45 minutes away by car.
The Islanders' final game at Barclays Center will be against Carolina on March 22. Cuomo said in January 2018 that the club will return to Nassau Coliseum on a part-time basis until its new home at Belmont was completed. During the 2018-19 season, the Islanders played almost half of their home games on Long Island (21), and the other half at Barclays Center (20). The team's first game at Belmont University took place on October 5, 2019.
Barclays Center opened on September 17, 2012. The opening game was a 4-3 win for the New York Rangers over the Vancouver Canucks.
Before becoming a sports arena, Barclays Center was the home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets from its inaugural season in 2015 until they moved to Manhattan's Atlantic City in 2017. Before that, from 1977 to 2014, it was known as the Meadowlands Arena and then as the Brendan Byrne Arena after the former governor. It also hosted major events such as the US Open tennis tournament and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) events.
The venue has approximately 200,000 square feet (18,750 m2) of floor space and can hold an audience of about 17,500 people for hockey games. Its closest equivalent in size is Madison Square Garden, which has more than twice as much space.
Barclays Center is owned by the same group that owns the NHL's New Jersey Devils.
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