The Barclays Center in Brooklyn just got a bit more crowded.
A week before the Brooklyn Nets open their regular season at their brand new building, the New York Islanders and owner Charles Wang announced on Wednesday that the team will be moving from Long Island to Brooklyn to join the Nets at the arena.
The Islanders have been struggling for years to build a new arena in Long Island, but have been unsuccessful in recent years due to community and political opposition. There were rumors that the team would move to another city, but the new announcement puts all that speculation to bed.
"You don't have to worry about the future of this team," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said at a news conference Wednesday, according to ESPN.com. "It's remaining local."
The team agreed to a 25-year agreement and will begin playing at the Barclays Center in the 2015-16 season. The current lease at Nassau Coliseum runs out in 2015. Wang said that the team will not change its name or its logo for the move. He will also retain 100 percent ownership of the franchise.
"We are the New York Islanders," Wang said.
The Barclays Center holds 14,500 for hockey, which would make it the smallest arena in the league. Commissioner Gary Bettman said that there are plans on the books that would bring the number to "15,000-plus."
According to ESPNNewYork.com:
"The announcement was made with Wang, Bettman, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz, Islanders general manager Garth Snow, Barclays Center owner and developer Bruce Ratner, and Barclays Center and Brooklyn Nets chief executive Brett Yormark in attendance."
Ratner said Wang had "very good offers to move the team out of our state, very good offers, and Charles wouldn't do that."
The arena currently does not have locker rooms for hockey, but that most likely would happen in the future now that the Islanders are moving in.
Yormark responded, "I think that's fair to say."
The Islanders came close to a new arena in Long Island last August that included housing developments, retail space and a new arena, but the plan was rejected by local voters.
"We have tried very hard to keep the Islanders in their original home in Long Island," said Mr. Wang to the New York Times. "Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve that dream. Our goal was always to have the Islanders play in a local world-class facility that contains the amenities our fans deserve."
The new arena will be a decent trip for local fans in Long Island, but the Barclays Center does have a connection to the Long Island Railroad, making travel easier.
Some players for the team expressed dismay at leaving, but also spoke about the excitement of coming to Brooklyn.
"It will be tough leaving such a historic building on Long Island, but we need a new rink and Barclays is a state-of-the-art facility that will be a great home for us," Islanders winger Matt Moulson told ESPNNewYork.com via text message. "I hope the fans that have stood by this team through good and bad times continue to support us on our quest for the Stanley Cup."
The team has a storied history, but hasn't had a winning season since 2007. In the 1980s the team achieved great success, winning four straight Stanley Cup titles from 1980-1983.
Although they have only made the playoffs once in the past seven years, there is reason for optimism. The team drafted John Tavares first overall in the 2009 draft and he has developed into one of the best young players in the league. The Islanders have had high picks consistently over the past few years, allowing them to draft more talented players like Swiss forward, Nino Niederreiter and the US-born Brock Nelson.
The Nets and Islanders are now roommates. According to Atlantic Cities, "Nine other NHL teams share arenas with NBA teams: Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, and the New York Rangers."
After going over 50 years with no professional teams after the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, Brooklyn is now the home to two professional teams from two of the biggest sporting organizations in the world.
"It is unfortunate that we were unable to keep the team in Nassau County," the Islanders' Matt Martin said in a text to ESPNNewYork.com. "Obviously, there is a ton of history there and it is sad to see that come to an end, but in saying that, I'm extremely excited that we were able to remain in New York and for the team's fresh start in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. I'm happy to be part of this new beginning."
