John Collins invests in Islanders and will run business operations
John Collins, then the NHL's chief operating officer, at the Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2014. Credit: Getty Images
The Islanders are bringing in an experienced NHL executive to help take care of business.
The team on Thursday confirmed that John Collins, the league’s chief operating officer from 2008 to 2015, will invest in the organization, become the team’s operating partner and run the Islanders’ business operations working with owner Scott Malkin and co-owner Jon Ledecky.
Sportico first reported the news.
Malkin informed Islanders employees that Collins will work to grow the team’s business in partnership with UBS Arena management, Oak View Group (the arena’s developer), New York Racing Association and the under-construction Belmont Park Village.
However, an NHL source said Collins’ addition will not alter the Islanders’ power structure nor change either Malkin or Ledecky’s role. It was not immediately clear how large an investment Collins is making or what percentage of ownership he will have.
Sportico reported via its annual valuations that the Islanders are worth $920 million, the 13th highest in the NHL.
The league approved Malkin and Ledecky as majority owners in 2016 to complete a deal that was agreed to in 2014 with then-owner Charles Wang. The Islanders were valued at about $485 million at that time.
The $1.1 billion UBS Arena opened in November 2021.
Collins, who went to college at C.W. Post (now LIU Post), was instrumental in spearheading the development of the NHL’s Winter Classic, an annual outdoor game first played on Jan. 1, 2008, as well as the annual outdoor Stadium Series.
The Islanders will make their second appearance in an outdoor game when they “host” the Rangers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Feb. 18.
Collins also has been an NFL executive with the Cleveland Browns.
More recently, Collins ran On Location Experiences, an event-driven hospitality company owned by Endeavor, and also was a director for Super Group, a gambling operator.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
