UBS Arena

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Lore & Background

The journey to UBS Arena began with the collapse of the Lighthouse Project, a 2004 proposal to build a new arena and surrounding development on the Nassau Coliseum site. After Nassau County approved a version but the town of Hempstead never granted a zoning change, the project was cancelled. In August 2011, Nassau County voters voted against a $400 million public bond for a new arena. In October 2012, the Islanders announced they would relocate to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. However, Barclays Center was designed primarily as a basketball arena, and its hockey configuration was criticized by fans for obstructed views and by players for substandard ice quality. In December 2017, New York Arena Partners—a joint venture between the Islanders, Oak View Group, and Sterling Equities—won a bid to construct a new arena at Belmont Park. Groundbreaking was held on September 23, 2019, attended by Governor Andrew Cuomo and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Construction was paused from March 27 to May 27, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2020, UBS was announced as the naming rights sponsor under a 20-year deal. The arena formally opened on November 19, 2021, with a private fundraising event featuring rock band Chicago.

In Their Own Story

The first game at UBS Arena was on November 20, 2021, a 5–2 loss to the Calgary Flames. Brad Richardson scored the arena's first goal; Brock Nelson scored the first Islanders goal. The Islanders started 0–5–2 at the venue, finally getting their first home win on December 11, a 4–2 win against the New Jersey Devils. The first Stanley Cup playoffs game took place on April 21, 2023, a 5–1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, with Casey Cizikas scoring the first playoff goal. UBS Arena was scheduled to host the 2026 NHL All-Star Game, awarded on February 18, 2024, but the event was cancelled and replaced with a send-off event to the 2026 Winter Olympics that itself was cancelled in October 2025. The 2027 NHL All-Star Game will take place at UBS Arena. On March 1, 2025, Ilya Sorokin was credited with the first goalie goal in UBS Arena history, the 20th goalie goal in NHL history and the second in Islanders franchise history. On March 23, 2025, the arena hosted an international match between the Jerusalem Capitals and HC Tel Aviv of the Israel Elite Hockey League, the first time professional hockey teams from Israel competed in North America. On April 6, 2025, Alexander Ovechkin scored his NHL record-breaking 895th career goal at UBS Arena, surpassing Wayne Gretzky's record of 894.

Reader's Guide

To experience UBS Arena, know that the Islanders played 13 consecutive road games to start the 2021–22 season to allow construction to finish. The arena seats 17,250 for hockey and up to 19,000 for concerts. The first college basketball game was on December 3, 2021, between St. John's Red Storm and Kansas Jayhawks. The New York Liberty of the WNBA moved their 2024 Commissioner's Cup championship game to UBS Arena on June 25, 2024. WWE's Monday Night Raw aired from the arena on November 29, 2021, and AEW's Dynamite on December 8, 2021. The Professional Women's Hockey League's New York Sirens held six home games there in their inaugural season starting January 10, 2024, but moved all home games to Prudential Center for 2024–25. In April 2026, Long Island University announced a five-year partnership for a holiday college hockey tournament, the Empire State Holiday Invitational, to be held in December 2026. The $1.5 billion project generated approximately $25 billion in economic activity, 10,000 construction jobs, and 3,000 permanent jobs, with 30% of contracting dollars for minority and female-owned businesses and 6% for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. It also spurred a $100 million investment in transit, including Elmont station, the first new Long Island Rail Road station in almost 50 years.

Did You Know?

• Fans and sports writers have nicknamed UBS Arena 'The Stable' because it is located at Belmont Park, a famous thoroughbred racing venue.
• The first goal scored at UBS Arena in an NHL regular-season game was by Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals on November 20, 2021.
• Alexander Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's record on April 5, 2025, at UBS Arena, with his 895th goal being the record-breaking goal.
• The arena spurred a $100 million investment in transit, including Elmont station, the first new Long Island Rail Road station in almost 50 years.
• On March 23, 2025, UBS Arena hosted the first-ever North American competition between professional hockey teams from Israel.

The Quest for a New Home

By the mid-2000s, Nassau Coliseum was the fourth-oldest facility in the NHL and the smallest in the league. The Lighthouse Project, a 2004 proposal to renovate the Coliseum and build a larger district including a minor-league ballpark and a 60-story high-rise, was approved by Nassau County but the town of Hempstead never granted the required zoning change, and the project was reported cancelled. In May 2010, Jeff Wilpon discussed building a new arena in Willets Point, Queens, and possibly buying the Islanders. In June 2010, FanHouse reported the Wilpons were working with Jones Lang LaSalle on a feasibility study, though a Newsday source said the report was not true. On July 12, 2010, Hempstead supervisor Kate Murray announced an "alternate zone" that downsized the Lighthouse Project to half its size, making it "economically unviable." In August 2011, voters rejected a $400 million public bond for a new arena. In October 2012, the Islanders announced they would relocate to Barclays Center after the 2014–15 season. Barclays Center's hockey configuration was criticized for obstructed views and substandard ice quality.

Construction and Pandemic Challenges

In December 2017, New York Arena Partners—a joint venture between the Islanders, Oak View Group, and Sterling Equities—won a bid to construct an 18,000-seat arena at Belmont Park, beating a competing proposal by New York City FC. The groundbreaking was held on September 23, 2019, attended by Governor Andrew Cuomo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and Islanders officials, alumni, and players. In February 2020, it was announced the Islanders would temporarily return to the Coliseum for all home games starting with the 2020 playoffs before moving to Belmont Park for 2021–22. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all non-essential construction in New York was suspended from March 27, 2020. Construction resumed on May 27, 2020, and team officials expected to finish in time for October 2021 despite the two-month pause. In July 2020, UBS was announced as the naming rights sponsor under a 20-year deal, naming the facility UBS Arena.

A Historic Opening and Unique Identity

The Islanders played preseason home games at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, home of their AHL affiliate, to allow more construction time. They then played 13 consecutive road games to start the regular season. UBS Arena formally opened on November 19, 2021, with a private fundraising event featuring rock band Chicago. The arena officially seats 17,250 for ice hockey and up to 19,000 for concerts. Located in Elmont, New York, just outside New York City limits, the arena is at Belmont Park, a famous thoroughbred racing venue, earning it the nickname "The Stable" from fans and sports writers.

Economic Impact and Community Investment

The $1.5 billion project and surrounding redevelopment were announced to generate approximately $25 billion in economic activity, including major infrastructure improvements, 10,000 construction jobs, and 3,000 permanent jobs. This was seen as a boost to the regional economy during the COVID-19 pandemic slowdown. Project partners set a goal of 30% of contracting dollars for state-certified minority and female-owned businesses and 6% for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. The project led to an additional $100 million investment in transit and infrastructure enhancements, including Elmont station, the first newly constructed Long Island Rail Road station in almost 50 years. It also included the development of Belmont Park Village, an open-air luxury outlet center.

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