Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy wants the NHL back in Connecticut and he wants the New York Islanders.
With the New York Islanders future in Brooklyn still up in the air, Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy wants the team to move to his state.The future of the Islanders in Brooklyn — this is their second season playing in the Barclays Center — came into question on Monday when Bloomberg reported that Barclays management was expecting any revenue from the team after the 2018-19 season.
On Friday, Malloy wrote a letter to the Islander s inviting them to make Hartford’s XL Center their new home.
“The building has had some fan amenities and new team facilities upgraded over the last several years, and we have a program in place to undertake more work,” Malloy wrote. The XL Center is in the process of installing a new ice floor and dasher boards.
The governor also said that Hartford has more Fortune 500 companies than many NHL cities, including Columbus, Raleigh, Buffalo, and Nashville, according to WFSB.
The state would work with private partners to develop the building and would adjust their development plans to the needs of the Islanders and their fans.
According to ESPN, Connecticut hasn’t had an NHL team since 1997 when the Hartford Whalers moved to Carolina and became the Hurricanes. A move to Connecticut would make sense for the Islanders since their AHL affiliate is in Bridgeport, Connecticut.