Islanders Relocation: Hartford Officials Reach Out to Team About Potential Move

The New York Islanders look to be in the midst of trying to find a new home after one-plus seasons at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. 

On Friday, Connecticut governor Dannel P. Malloy sent a letter to Islanders owners Scott Malkin, John Ledecky and Charles Wang, imploring them to consider Harford as a possible target for relocation, according to Newsbell:

After 43 years in the small, outdated Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, and failed attempts with legislation to revamp the arena, the team moved to Brooklyn for the 2015-16 season. 

It's been a difficult transition for the organization, which has struggled to get its fans from Long Island into Brooklyn to fill the 15,795-seat arena.

Nassau Coliseum had one of the best sight lines in the league, but the Barclays Center—which was built for the NBA's Brooklyn Nets—is not accommodating to hockey as thousands of seats have obstructed views of the ice surface.

Last season, the team finished 28th in the NHL with an average attendance of 13,626. It hasn't improved this year either, as the Islanders rank 29th with 12,773 fans per game, according to ESPN.com.

The Barclays Center isn't prospering from having the Islanders as tenants either. A report from Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick stated the arena would make more money if the NHL franchise did not play there: "As of earlier this month, a financial projection shared with potential investors showed the Islanders won’t contribute any revenue after the 2018-19 season—a clear signal that the team won’t play there, the people said."

With the Islanders facing a future without a home, a number of potential suitors have surfaced. 

The Nassau Coliseum has been refurbished and updated and is set to open in April. However, it was originally expected to serve as a venue for smalls concert and special events.

On Tuesday, though, Town of Hempstead supervisor Anthony J. Santino told 1010 WINS (h/t CBSSports.com) he and the town "would lay out the red carpet to bring the team back to its historic home. It’s where they belong."

Queens has been an option for some time dating back to July 2016, when the team had looked into building an arena next to Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, per Soshnick. 

There have also been whisperings of the team relocating to Quebec City, Canada, according to Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.

While Hartford would be a temporary relocation during the team's quest to find a permanent home in 2017-18, it has housed an NHL franchise before. From 1979 to 1997, the Whalers called Hartford home.

However, a league source told David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period that they "don't anticipate the Islanders' franchise moving out of the New York Metropolitan area."