It was busy, yet unsuccessful in many regards, summer for the New York Islanders. A vote to build a new arena — one that could actually help the team compete — was voted down. It was a tough blow for a team that had a solid second-half of the 2010-11 season and appears to have a core intact to be a solid contender in the near future. The question is now, “Will the Islanders stay on Long Island or move to (Hartford, Quebec City, Hamilton, etc)?”
The entire staff of Eyes on Isles contributed to the team’s 2011-12 preview. Here is a snippet:
"The Islanders 2011-2012 slogan is not just four words. It is going to be the culture of the team. With the issues of the new arena, and the subsequent defeat at the polls in the summer, along with the constant rumors of the team going somewhere else, I can state with all certainty, that the Islanders WILL be on Long Island this year. They will be at the Coliseum for the next three years after that, and I know that they will be ready to commit themselves to take on the best of the NHL head on. This team has every intention to prove to the pundits and naysayers that Long Island is NOT an inferior place to play and this team that is a solid hockey club, ready to move up the NHL ladder."
You can read more about the Islanders at Eyes on Isles.