NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Thursday said the new Nassau Coliseum is “not a long-term option” for the Islanders, according to Arthur Staple of NEWSDAY. This news comes "despite recent comments by Long Island business and political leaders that the team could move back there." Bettman also said Islanders co-Owner Scott Malkin "didn't buy" the Islanders to "move them somewhere else." Bettman: "He is committed to this area." Bettman added that the NHL has been consulting Malkin and Islanders co-Owner Jon Ledecky on their "search for a new arena, though the commissioner also said he’s not sure the Islanders are necessarily parting ways with Barclays Center." Bettman: "The fact that they’re looking at building a hockey-functioning building is a good thing. The fact that they’re looking at a lot of options in terms of where they can build it, I think that’s all good. If I’m an Islander fan who lives in Nassau and Suffolk, I’ve got to be somewhere between excited and intrigued at the possibilities. ... In the final analysis, I think [the Coliseum is] not a long term option" (NEWSDAY, 4/14).
