NHL: The Pros and Cons of a New York Islanders Relocation

The New York Islanders’ lack of guaranteed housing in their present neighborhood inevitably equals a “Will they or won’t they?” debate concerning the prospect of relocation.

The question that is perhaps even greater and greater, though, is “Should they or shouldn’t they?”

To shoot for the answer, there are five major points, with some pluses and some minuses to consider. Any one or a combination of these could be the deciding factor in weighing the proper sentiment over the Islanders’ long-term fate.

Minus: Disregard for a proud tradition

Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News hit a series of solid points in a recent column on this topic.

He noted that no team already carrying a Stanley Cup banner has vanished since the Montreal Maroons evaporated in the 1930s.

Kennedy noted the bevy of beloved players who substantially sculpted their portfolio while wearing an Islanders jersey, from Mike Bossy to Ray Ferraro right up to the present-day prodigy John Tavares. Amazingly, some of those he didn’t mention by name include goaltender Billy Smith and coach Al Arbour.

Remember that mass viewing party Isles fans had two years ago in anticipation of drafting Tavares? The buzz didn’t look considerably different from the first wave of Crosby-mania in Pittsburgh or the Edmonton fanbase’s instant embrace of draft choice Taylor Hall.

Long Island rooters, good and plenty, believe their team can ultimately replenish its relevance. And if the franchise were to do so only after moving to a different locality, the only happy people in Nassau County would be profit-reeling psychiatrists and stomach medicine salespeople.

Plus: Congestion relief

Simply put, it is difficult for most any of us to picture a world without the New York Islanders, as was stressed in the point above. With that said, does the New York area really need them when you already have an Original Six team in Manhattan and another proud NHL franchise across the border in New Jersey?

In today’s professional sports dynamic, civic rivalries only work in leagues where geography does not dictate which conference you are in. That is, matchups like Mets-Yankees, Jets-Giants and Cubs-White Sox could transpire for a World Series or Super Bowl that would draw national attention and intrigue to a single market at once. It’s already happened in the form of the 2000 Subway Series.

That’s not possible in the NHL, where geographically proximate teams are usually assigned to the same division or at least the same conference.

Granted, the Islanders and Rangers have had plenty of fun battles in earlier phases of the postseason. But the last time they crossed paths in the playoffs was in the opening round in 1994.

The Rangers have since locked twigs with the Devils four times (1994, 1997, 2006 and 2008). Meanwhile, the Islanders rivalry has had only two chapters that made any ripples beyond the NYC area.

There was the 1995-96 season, when Blueshirt buffs capitalized on the Islanders unpopular new uniforms with chants of “We want fish sticks.” Then there was the incident at Nassau Coliseum in December 2003, when two participants in an on-ice parade of Kris Kringle impersonators daringly doffed their red suits to reveal Rangers jerseys.

In other words, the men with sticks in their hands and blades on their feet have done nothing to stoke the spirit of this matchup for nearly two decades.

The main point here is that if the Islanders were deleted from the landscape, Ranger fans would still have the Battle of the Hudson River. Not to mention, they would also still have their unwavering animosities for Philadelphia and Boston, both of whom have had NHL teams much longer than Long Island. Not much would be lost on their front.

Plus or Minus: More realignment

One of the byproducts of the Atlanta Thrashers’ recent transfer to Winnipeg is the inevitable relocation of one Western Conference team to the Eastern circuit. The debate over who that should be has been fun and if the league does this right, i.e. by putting Nashville in the Southeast Division, the repercussions should not cause too much of a headache.

But as the league sits in its present configuration, no division makes more sense than the Atlantic. With the two New York, one New Jersey and two Pennsylvania teams, there is abundant kindling for a rabid rivalry to spark between any two of the five franchises.

If the Islanders were to move too far away (which they inevitably would) then the ecosystem would have to change drastically. This author’s best-case scenario would have Columbus moving out east and result in an alignment something along these lines:

Atlantic Division: Boston, Montreal, New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

Northeast Division: Buffalo, Columbus, Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Toronto.

You could take that either way. Some healthy newfangled rivalries might come about or be enhanced. But others, particularly any Atlantic Division rivalry involving the Penguins, might lose valuable luster. Whether the good outweighs the bad here is a matter of interpretation.

Minus: Sound affiliation ruined

With less than 40 miles separating Uniondale from Bridgeport (although it supposedly takes a full 90 minutes to go to and fro along I-95), the Islanders-Sound Tigers alliance is one of the most sensible partnerships in hockey. The success of their decade-long affiliation is such that the Sound Tigers have held multiple AHL playoff games at Nassau Coliseum.

To say the least, if their parent club suddenly took off for a more distant region, the Tigers would have nothing to gain. They might continue to live on puck-hungry locals alone, but the prospective loss of fans from beyond the Connecticut/New York border wouldn’t feel good.

Plus: Spreading the wealth

Canadian fans in particular have a beef when they note that there are essentially three NHL teams in and around New York City, yet only one in the more puck-crazed metropolis of Toronto. However, flooding a new pond for the Islanders in Toronto, Hamilton or any other Ontario city is hardly the solution (see the point above on congestion relief).

If a North American city and region currently lacking big-league hockey in its immediate vicinity takes interest and proves itself capable of fostering a franchise, then it should get its chance in the event the Islanders don’t find good digs in New York.

Whether it’s Saskatoon, Seattle, any major-league-sized AHL city such Houston, or even Atlanta (with more responsible ownership), the NHL should root itself in as many markets as it can.