The New York Islanders hockey team spent 43 years calling the Nassau Coliseum their home arena. Between the years 1980-1983, the Islanders won the Stanley Cup four consecutive seasons. In 2015, the Islanders played one final historic season at the Coliseum. Upon concluding the 2015 season, the Islanders moved to Brooklyn, where the Barclays Center became their new arena. The parting of the team from this arena was very emotional not only for the team, but for the entire fan base. This year, the Barclays Center announced it will no longer home the Islanders. The cause of this is largely due to struggles “to attract new fans while their existing supporters have complained about obstructed-view seats and the loss of some traditions from the team’s decades on Long Island”, according to CBS. This led to a cultivation of drama and controversy surrounding where the Islanders would end up in the near future.

Ultimately, the Islanders were really presented with two main options: Build an arena in Belmont or attempt to move back to Nassau Coliseum. The Belmont park arena would mean a brand new arena of NHL standards that the Islanders have been dreaming of for so long. New York Islanders news source, www.eyesonisles.com, quoted TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s Tweet which reads, “I would also expect some clarity in coming days/weeks on NYI long-term arena/home issue. All signs pointing towards the Belmont, NY, site.” If this news is true, the Islanders will surely be built a beautiful new arena that specifically fits their needs. The Coliseum, on the other hand, possesses a special history and an atmosphere that no Islanders fan can ever forget. Although many may disagree, I strongly feel that the Islanders should come back to the Coliseum. According to Newsday, “Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano has tried to woo the Islanders to the renovated Nassau Coliseum.” This idea is particularly appealing because of the history the Islanders have had at Nassau Coliseum, as it is impossible to erase and impossible to replace. While we may need a bigger arena with more seats, a more visually appealing and larger concourse, and a more NHL-appropriate stadium, Nassau Coliseum is, and always will be, home.

The potential arena in Belmont would have multitudinous benefits that the Coliseum may never enjoy, but it simply will not be home. There have been traditions established and memories made on that ice that can never be overwritten. There is no place like home, and there isn’t a single arena on the planet that is more of a home to the New York Islanders than the ‘Old Barn’, Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum.