Islanders fans have waited a long time for an extended run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They have waited even longer for a new arena to call home.
The talk of the team needing a new arena goes all the way back to its dynasty days, when the Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-83. It was a topic that would cloud the franchise's future for decades.
“It’s been 30-plus years that good, smart people have been trying to build an arena,” Oak View Group chief executive officer Tim Leiweke said, “all without success.”
Despite a delay in construction because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UBS Arena at Belmont Park is on target to open in time for the 2021-22 season.