Barclays executives remain 'very interested' in possible relocation of Islanders

With little marketing, Barclays Center in Brooklyn has sold more than 7,000 tickets -- about half the seating capacity for hockey -- for a preseason game between the Islanders and Devils, scheduled for Oct. 2.

"And we really haven't started promoting it yet," Barclays chief executive Brett Yormark told Newsday Thursday. "Right now, we're focusing on getting the building open for events."

Yormark said Barclays executives "remain very interested" in a possible relocation of the Islanders to Brooklyn in 2015 if no deal is reached to remain in Nassau. "Discussions are continuing, although the goal at this point is to work with what we have on our schedule," he said.

"The Islanders are half way to selling out the lowest seating-capacity arena in the NHL," said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, who last month dismissed Nassau Democrats' proposal to build a new Nassau Coliseum using private and county dollars. "I remain optimistic that the county's new master developer will put together the components necessary to retain the Islanders, create jobs and build a new arena in Nassau County."

Meanwhile, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said a potential move by the Islanders to Atlantic Avenue remains "an intriguing possibility. But there's a lot of road between here and there."

The Islanders averaged 13,191 in attendance at Nassau Coliseum last season, ranking next-to-last in the NHL. An Islanders spokesman did not respond to a call and email seeking comment. With Robert Brodsky.