The New York Islanders may return to their old stomping grounds before calling Belmont Park home.
While the Islanders' new arena is being built, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league would entertain the idea of the team playing games at Nassau Coliseum - their home from 1975-2015 - until their new rink is complete.
"I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility," Daly told Newsday's Jim Baumbach via email.
The Islanders have been playing their home games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn since the 2015-16 season. The building was intended to be a basketball-only facility, which has caused issues with the ice surface, as well as the sightlines for fans.
Islanders co-owner John Ledecky said they plan to play the 2018-19 season at the Barclays Center, as per their lease. However, where they play for the 2019-20 season and beyond - until the Belmont arena is finished - remains unclear.
The Coliseum re-opened in March 2017 after an 18-month, $165-million renovation.
A spokesperson for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment - the same company that operates both the Barclays Center and the Coliseum - said they have presented the Islanders with a proposal to make the Coliseum their interim home, adding that the company is "prepared to facilitate any necessary enhancements" to the aging arena.
Following the Islanders' Belmont Park news conference, The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo's office released the following statement:
"New York State will negotiate with the New York Islanders to ensure they will play as many games as possible at the Nassau Coliseum while the state-of-the-art arena at Belmont is being built, returning the Islanders home to Long Island in the nearest possible future."
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