Lamoriello excited to have fans back in Nassau Coliseum on Thursday night
Islanders fans celebrate a second-period goal by Josh Bailey against the Devils at the Nassau Coliseum on March 11. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
The first step in the return of Islanders fans to Nassau Coliseum came last Thursday, when 1,000 Northwell Health front-line workers attended a game against the Devils as the Islanders’ guests.
The next step comes this Thursday, with 1,391 paying customers expected to watch the Islanders host the Flyers – the first of seven games for which the state-mandated ticket limit of 10% capacity was sold out.
"I’m excited that we have fans coming back," team president Lou Lamoriello said on Wednesday. "I thought it was great to see them in the building [last week], although it was tough for me to see who were fans and who were our [seat-filling] cutouts there for a while.
"I hope that over a short period of time we’ll be able to increase the number of people coming in. But I know from our ticket sales office that whenever season ticket holders were given the opportunity, they sold out all the games they put on sale."
Lamoriello said he has no time frame for when capacity will expand.
"That’s not a decision that we’re involved with," he said. "Certainly, once the state and county increase it, I think it’s exciting for our fans and certainly exciting for our team. We know what the Coliseum does for our team, the way the crowd reacts, and the fans we have are something special."
Adding to the urgency of getting fans back is the fact this is the Coliseum’s final season as the Islanders’ home. Lamoriello said UBS Arena still is on schedule to open this autumn.
"It’s my understanding from all indications that [construction] is on time," Lamoriello said. "Certainly, we had a couple of days of snow earlier, but I’m told that did not get in the way.
"All I can do is rely on what people are telling me, and we will be playing at UBS Arena when it comes fall."
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
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