ELMONT, N.Y. (1010 WINS) — The New York Islanders are set to christen their new Long Island arena Saturday when they face off against the Calgary Flames.
UBS Arena opens Saturday with a series of special ceremonies scheduled before the puck drops at 7 p.m. The $1.1 billion arena at the Belmont Park racecourse in Elmont was built specifically for hockey and musical events, with Harry Styles scheduled as the first performer at the venue on Sunday, Nov. 28.
Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky promised fans the stadium will be just as loud as Nassau Coliseum but will provide a unique experience. The stadium was built along with a new Long Island Rail Road station — the first the MTA built in 50 years.
The New York Islanders hockey team practices for the first time at their new $1.1 billion dollar rink which will debut Saturday night at UBS Arena on November 18, 2021 in Elmont, New York.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
"This world class venue, UBA arena, will be a destination for the surrounding region to take pride in," Ledecky said during a ribbon-cutting Friday.
The stadium will hold 150 events annually, designed to hold up to 19,000 people for concerts and up to 17,250 for NHL games.
Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders leads the team in practice for the first time at their new $1.1 billion dollar rink which will debut Saturday night at UBS Arena on November 18, 2021 in Elmont, New York.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The Islanders' search for a new stadium spans more than a decade when then-owner Charles Wang looked to move from the outdated Coliseum. The team eventually moved to the Barclays Center in 2015 but then retreated back to the coliseum for half its home games; Barclays proved to be both too far from the team's Long Island fan base and a poor arena for hockey.
