BS&E reportedly pressuring Islanders to play more games, and sooner, at Nassau Coliseum

With just a few days to go before the January 30 date to decide on the New York Islanders' lease at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, operators of Barclays and the Nassau Coliseum, is reportedly pressuring the team to play more games in Nassau, not just in the fifth season, but next year too (which was previously expected to be solely at Barclays).

That would give the Coliseum, which has no anchor tenant, more guaranteed dates for a couple of years, and closer to the team's historic fan base--even though it's been downsized and has few luxury suites.

Newsday's Jim Baumbach reported 1/23/18 Sources: Islanders close to deal to play some games at Coliseum;

The Islanders are expected to play 12 games at the renovated Coliseum next season and — if all goes well with those games — they expect to play about half of their regular season schedules in the other remaining years prior to moving to Belmont, the sources said.

That would be two more years after next. The season, including pre-season, is about 44 games.

Baumbach's sources say BS&E wants all the Islanders' games in the Coliseum, which would free up dates for other events and remove a money-losing albatross. The Coliseum now holds 13,900 people, fewer than Barclays' 15,795, but the Islanders are averaging only 12,059, last in the league--and gate count is surely less.

The governor's role

The New York Post followed up, with Barclays pressuring Islanders into more Coliseum games:

Gov. Cuomo is pressuring both sides to agree to a new three- or four-year lease in the next week — one that would include an unspecified number of games played at the Coliseum, sources said.

Why exactly it's Cuomo's business is not clear, though he has an indirect interest in the Islanders re-establishing themselves on Long Island so the future Belmont arena works. But he, like Borough President Eric Adams, may also be acting on behalf of Barclays. 

One lingering question: does he have any carrots to offer? Is this contingent in any way on promised expansion of Long Island Rail Road service?

How well could it work?

The Post's Larry Brooks, in The biggest fear hanging over Islanders’ dual-home nightmare, was not optimistic, suggesting it "carries a minor league taint with it":

Which opponents where? Rangers in Brooklyn or Uniondale? Split homestands or alternate months? What about the playoffs, if there are playoffs? Will split-season subscriptions be offered? Isn’t it more likely than not that Long Island residents will pack the Coliseum and abandon Barclays? What will the impact be on the league’s hockey-related revenue that establishes the salary cap? 

He added:

Worst-case scenario: It is a fiasco.
Best-case scenario: It is a logistical nightmare.

But Brooks said he hoped the Islanders wouldn't lose star John Tavares, who could choose a more settled situation upon his upcoming free agency. Newsday's Arthur Staple followed up and got a noncommital quote: “Like anybody would be, everything that goes into this decision, I’ll think about."