Morning roundtable: New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes need to move to new arenas -- again
What's the best arena solution for the New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes?
Scott Burnside: How many weeks do we have to answer this? In the short term it seems the Islanders need to retreat to Long Island as soon as humanly possible. Like, tomorrow. Who cares if the retrofit Nassau Coliseum holds only 12,000 people? That's still more than show up at the Barclays Center on most nights, and the ice won't be mush, and the scoreboard will actually be over center ice. The sooner this ill-advised experiment in Brooklyn ends, the better for everyone, especially the NHL. As for the Coyotes, I am told that the moment the ASU deal fell through, ownership began working on a Plan B for a new locale in the Scottsdale or back in downtown Phoenix, where the Coyotes first played after relocating from Winnipeg. Or is it Plan Z? One thing I know for sure is that pressure is going to ramp up on those two franchises and on the league itself, with Quebec City waiting with an NHL-ready building and fan base.
Pierre LeBrun: The Islanders need to build their own rink in the New York area. The Citi Field area makes the most sense if they can ever figure out all the logistics and hurdles associated with that. The NHL doesn't want that franchise anywhere else other than in that market. The Coyotes suffered a real blow when the Tempe arena project blew up last week, but ownership has a few options. I think the league believes that situation will iron itself out, but you wonder just how many times that situation can take yet another setback. They can't play in Glendale. They need a new rink in Scottsdale or Phoenix to survive. As for Quebec City, we all want a team there one day -- that new rink is glorious. But it's not on the NHL's radar. And keep in mind one important detail: The NHL doesn't want a 17th team in the Eastern Conference.
Craig Custance: I'm not the person to ask. I remember attending a board of governors meeting in 2010, reporting the news of Matt Hulsizer's interest in purchasing the Coyotes and declaring their issues in the desert completely solved. It was such a simpler time. As it turns out, they're never solved. Not then, not now, and it sure doesn't look like the solution is coming anytime soon. The problems with the Islanders have dragged out just about as long. If we've learned anything about these two franchises, it's that the league seems to have an unending reserve of patience for both. Like Scott, I think the best answer for the Islanders is on Long Island. With the Coyotes, it's as close to Scottsdale as possible. It's been that way for a while now and yet, here we are, talking about this again and there's still no solution. But, hey look, Vegas!
Joe McDonald: Many pro sports markets nowadays have rinks, arenas or stadiums close to each other, and it makes for a cool atmosphere. Pittsburgh has the Penguins, Steelers and Pirates facilities all within walking distance. St. Louis has the same with the Cardinals and Blues. The homes of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Blue Jays are only a few blocks apart. Philadelphia has the Flyers, Phillies and Eagles basically all in the same parking lot. So, why not the Mets and Islanders? It would be a perfect union of two great franchises to share the same plot of land for the benefit of the fans. If the Islanders are able to build a new arena next to Citi Field, it would be a great location for hockey. I've always been a fan of Nassau Coliseum, but it's unlikely the Islanders will return to their original home. Brooklyn's not the answer, and while Belmont Park could be an interesting fit, being neighbors with the Mets is a better scenario once there's no more red tape. Arizona is easy: Move to Quebec.
Matthew Coller: Maybe I'm Captain Obvious, but both teams could use a consistent winning product. Both have made the playoffs fairly recently and the Islanders won one series last season, but neither team has been a consistent Cup contender. Both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks were in really tough shape years ago and now they are among the most solid franchises in the NHL. And even if we're talking about Arizona's problem with being outside of the "traditional" market realm, we've seen the San Jose Sharks build up a terrific fan base during their long run of excellence. You could say the same for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Winning won't solve everything, but it would enhance fan support and, in turn, help the effort toward solving some of these arena issues.
Corey Pronman: I just got back a week ago from a hockey game in Quebec City's new rink. It's a beautiful, NHL-quality facility. I defer to my ESPN colleagues who are more well-versed on the technical, business and political details of those teams' situations, but Quebec City has the big piece the NHL is looking for.
