The puck stops here

A new, big-name tenant plans on calling the Barclays Center home in the near future. The NHL’s New York Islanders announced their intentions to move to the new arena at a press conference held at the arena on Wednesday, October 24.

It was our goal from day one to keep the Islanders in the local New York area” said team owner Charles Wang. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to play in Barclays Center, a first class arena.”

Also present at the press conference were Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Borough President Marty Markowitz, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “Today is another great day for Brooklyn,” said Markowitz. “With the Nets and the Islanders, Brooklyn is beginning a dominant power play.”

Bloomberg concurred. “More than ever before, Brooklyn is the place where everyone wants to be,” he said. “Barclays Center has already brought an incredible amount of excitement to Brooklyn since opening last month. Now, things will get even more interesting, with Brooklyn’s first-ever NHL franchise. Whether or not you’re a hockey fan, more events at Barclays Center will lead to more economic activity and more jobs, and that’s good news for all New Yorkers.”

The economic benefits were also extolled by Carlo Scissura, the president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, who said the announcement of the impending move came, “Just when Brooklyn couldn’t get any hotter.

“This will create more jobs for Brooklynites and truly puts the ‘icing’ on the cake for the borough!” Scissura went on, adding that the team’s move to the borough, “Completes the hat trick of events for the Barclays Center with the Nets, an outstanding concert series, and now, the New York Islanders!

This announcement comes a little over a year after Nassau residents turned down a proposal for a $400 million program to renovate the Nassau Coliseum, the team’s current and ailing home.

While the move to the Barclays Center is a big one, the team will keep its name and logo at the behest of NHL officials, according to a press release. The Islanders’ lease with the Nassau Coliseum expires in 2015. The team is expected to wait till then to make the move. The team’s new contract with the Barclays Center is expected to be for a time period of 25 years.