NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said on Thursday night he’s bullish about the Islanders’ future and is hoping the team can break ground on its new Belmont Park arena “in the not-too-distant future.”
“My understanding is there’s processes they have to go through,” Bettman said. “But they’re hopeful . . . It’s going to take some number of months to break ground and get moving.”
As for a timetable on when the team can start playing at Belmont, Bettman said: “You’d have to ask the Islanders. From what I’m hearing, it’s probably in the two- to three-year range.