Bettman, Islanders owner tour Nassau Coliseum as possible temporary arena

Nassau Coliseum hosted an open house Tuesday, as NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and New York Islanders majority owner Jon Ledecky toured the recently renovated arena.

The Islanders' former digs, Nassau Coliseum is considered a possible temporary home as the team's new arena in nearby Belmont Park breaks ground.

In the meantime, New York will continue to play out of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where it's called home since 2015. Despite the team signing a 25-year agreement to play at the venue shared with the NBA's Nets, both the Islanders and arena manager can trigger an opt-out clause at the end of January.

If that should happen, the Islanders would need to find a temporary home following the 2018-19 season.

Nassau Coliseum, built in 1971, has undergone a host of changes since the Islanders left three years ago, including a $165-million renovation that reduced seating capacity by 3,000 to 13,000 for hockey games.

A number of improvements would need to be orchestrated in order for New York to return temporarily. Also at issue is who would fund those changes. Nassau Coliseum is currently owned by Forest City Enterprises, a real estate development firm.

Nassau Coliseum hosted an Islanders preseason game last September.

While the Islanders have played out of Barclays Center for parts of three seasons, a quick exit was initiated after a host of issues were realized, from awful ice conditions to poor sight lines and a tough commute.

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