New Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky on Wednesday pledged his support to Brooklyn as the team’s long-term home, but he would not do the same about potentially playing games at the renovated Nassau Coliseum.
The 2013 lease between Nassau County and Nassau Events Center, the entity formed by developer Bruce Ratner to renovate the Coliseum, included a clause that called for the Islanders to play six games per season at the new Coliseum.
But since then, Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the Brooklyn Nets, purchased an 85-percent stake in Nassau Events Center and Ledecky and childhood friend Scott Malkin bought a controlling interest in the Islanders from Charles Wang.
Ledecky, speaking Wednesday for the first time since taking over the Islanders on July 1, said the National Hockey League would be responsible for deciding whether the Islanders play anywhere other than Barclays Center.
“I think the key is neither party’s principal [representative] was there when that deal was made,” Ledecky said. “In other words, that deal was between Bruce Ratner and Charles Wang at the time and now we’re the owners of the Islanders.”
In a statement, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said that Nassau Events Center “intends to fulfill all of its contractual obligations. I look forward to meeting with the new team owners.”
A spokesman for Nassau Events Center did not return message for comment.
The six-game package of Islanders games — four regular season and two preseason — is stipulated in Forest City Ratner’s contract with the county. If the Islanders do not play the six games, NEC would owe the county an additional $1 million in annual rent, according to the lease. Mangano, who has suggested that the Islanders could one day return home permanently to play at the renovated arena, has said the team would also hold practice and autograph sessions at the new Coliseum.
Bill Daly, deputy commissioner of the NHL, said in a statement, “We have had no conversations with the Islanders [either under old ownership or new] about scheduling games anywhere other than the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Unless or until that happens, it’s a total nonissue.”
- Newsday