Islanders co-Owner Jon Ledecky yesterday said that the team has "made progress in improving the atmosphere and amenities at Barclays Center, which drew mixed reviews from fans and players during the team’s first season in Brooklyn," according to Mark Herrmann of NEWSDAY. Ledecky said Barclays Center is "going to be our home for years to come." Still, he "declined to say if that meant many years or just a few, when a potential opt-out could be activated." Ledecky: "The last time I looked I’m not the predictor of the future." Sources have said that both the team and arena "have opt-out clauses in their licensing agreement (in which the arena management controls the team’s ticket and marketing operations)." If the clauses are exercised by either side, the Islanders "could leave after their fourth year in Brooklyn." In addition to fans "voicing their concerns about Barclays Center, players also had concerns about the quality of the ice." Ledecky: "We’ve made a lot of progress in the offseason with Brooklyn, in terms of ice quality, in terms of the facility itself, in terms of making sure that the players and their families are welcomed and hosted in the right way" (NEWSDAY, 8/30).
YOU CAN CALL ME AL: Islanders GM Garth Snow yesterday announced that the ice on which the Islanders practice at Northwell Health Ice Center "will be known as 'Al Arbour Rink.'" NEWSDAY's Herrmann notes the dedication was made during a memorial event for the late Hockey HOF coach, which former and current Islanders attended (NEWSDAY, 8/30).
