Growing up in Queens and then on Long Island, it was pretty simple for me and my family to go to an Islanders game at Nassau Coliseum; you get in the car and drive to the Coliseum, and after the game is over, you get back in the car and you go home. Maybe you stopped somewhere to eat before or after the game, or perhaps you grabbed a hot dog at a concession stand, but the bottom line is that back then, going to a game consisted of going to the game and that’s it.
But the game has changed.
When UBS Arena opened in 2021, it gave the Islanders the world class home that they had been waiting on for so many years. But the arena was just one step in the re-development project at the Belmont Park campus. Currently under construction is the retail village across the street on the site of what used to be the south parking lot, and the Belmont Park racetrack is about to undergo a $455 million renovation that will modernize the iconic venue.
So, while the racetrack is being renovated, the massive paddock area located in front of the track and right next to the main entrance of UBS Arena is being put to good use with “The Park” at UBS Arena. The new space, which opened last week, is a collaboration between the Islanders, the New York Racing Association, Northwell Health, and USA Hockey, and its 155,800 square footprint features two outdoor pond hockey rinks.
“The Islanders are all about family and community,” said Islanders Co-Owner Jon Ledecky at Friday night’s grand opening. “This means so much to the community. To have two sheets of ice and a chance to use the NHL Learn How to Skate program and the Islanders’ programs for skating, and to give people who don’t have the chance economically to learn how to skate, whether it’s figure skating or hockey, it’s such an incredible opportunity for the surrounding community, and we’re very excited about it.”
Outdoor hockey has truly become part of the DNA of the National Hockey League. The first regular season NHL outdoor hockey game was the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton, where the Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens. In 2008, the NHL held the first “Winter Classic” in Western New York, featuring the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, and that game’s success led to the NHL bringing back the Heritage Classic as well as expanding the outdoor game schedule to include “Stadium Series” games.
Ten years after playing the Rangers at Yankee Stadium in 2014, the Islanders will have another outdoor meeting with their cross-town rivals this year, facing the Blueshirts on February 18 at MetLife Stadium. With the hopes of UBS Arena hosting the NHL All-Star Game and the NHL Draft, or perhaps the new Belmont Park Racetrack hosting the Winter Classic, the Islanders are showing the NHL that they can engage the fans with an outdoor activation like “The Park.”
“I couldn’t be more excited,” said former Islanders great Pat LaFontaine. “To see the Islanders put in two rinks…to be able to bring that to the fans, along with beer gardens and fire pits and carnival games and food, this is like ten times anything I could ever have imagined or thought of. I know the Islanders fans have missed the tailgating piece at the Coliseum, but I think this is a winter wonderland.”
The great thing about “The Park” is that it won’t just be open for Islanders games. In addition to being able to skate before a game, the rinks will have public skate sessions on non-game/event days from 6-7:30 pm, and also on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 1:30 pm. Fans can get schedule, ticket, and skate/helmet rental information at www.theparkatubsarena.com.
On hand for the grand opening were former Islanders Captain Denis Potvin and legendary goalie Billy Smith, two key pieces of the Islanders’ dynasty era that brought four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1980 to 1983. Potvin and Smith took part in a ceremonial puck drop on Friday night, but they also spent a good amount of time walking around the space and seeing how much the fans were enjoying it.
“I think it’s terrific,” said Potvin. “They want to create a community atmosphere and The Park is amazing I think for that. It’s open every day, a little more robust on game days, but I think it’s a great way to involve the community, of all ages, to be part of what the Islanders are trying to do.”
“It’s great,” said Smith. “They’re giving people something to do before the game and they will come. They’re making stuff to do here before the game so people can drive here and get here early without rushing, because everyone knows what the New York traffic is like.”
In addition to the outdoor pond hockey rinks, “The Park” at UBS Arena also features carnival games, warming stations, and an Islanders pop-up swag shop, as well as the set for the Islanders pre and postgame shows on MSG Networks.
The Islanders have always been great in the community with everything they do, but now with “The Park” they are building on their great history and bringing the game of hockey to a new generation of fans.
“The Islanders have a legacy built by people like Bill Smith and Denis Potvin that is unique in all of sports, and we have the honor of continuing that, hopefully,” said John Collins, a former NFL and NHL executive who joined the Islanders’ ownership group over the summer as Operating Partner and is running the business operations for the Islanders and UBS Arena. “The bar is pretty high all around. Hopefully this will give a new set in terms of how we reach into the community and really activate along with our corporate partners like Northwell and UBS.”
Collins is credited with the creation of the NHL Winter Classic, and now brings his impressive resume and business intellect to the Islanders.
To steal a line from the movie Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”
The Islanders have already built a great new arena, and now a fantastic new space for the community where fans can gather before games or even on off-days to experience the great game of hockey or just go for a skate.
With all of this building going on at Belmont Park, there’s no telling what’s going to come to Islanders Country down the road.