The New York Islanders may be taking their first shots for the Stanley Cup with a home team advantage at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the team’s historic home rink where they played 43 seasons before moving to the Barclays Center in 2015.
Responding to a push from Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman agreed to hold the first-round home games at the Coliseum if the Islanders qualify for the playoffs.
The Islanders currently hold the No. 1 spot in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference.
Curran sent a letter to Bettman on Feb. 4 requesting he give the Islanders “a chance to make a bid for the Stanley Cup at the Nassau Coliseum.”
She announced his response to her Twitter stream on Feb. 15.
Curran attributed the team’s success this season to their return to the Coliseum, where they announced they would return to play half of their games this season in January 2018.
The other half of their home games are at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which is where the rest of the Islander’s playoff games will be held if they advance further than the first round.
The Islanders next permanent location is planned to be a brand-new arena in Belmont that is slated to open in 2021.
