The New York Islanders have a new and improved practice facility and this will perhaps serve as the template for a new arena at Belmont Park.
The New York Islanders recently gave their fans a behind-the-scenes tour through Snapchat of their newly renovated practice facility at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, NY.
According to an article in the New York Post by Brett Cyrgalls, the facility is estimated to be at $7M, and Islanders owner Jon Ledecky has expressed his desire for the practice facility to be the template for the Islanders arena at Belmont Park in the event they win the bid. To create that template, Ledecky has done his due diligence.
Ledecky said he went to practice facilities around the League, not just their arenas. #Isles
— Brian Compton (@BComptonNHL) October 31, 2017
Included in the multi-million dollar renovations are additions to the equipment manager’s room and the locker rooms, as well as the training room, which now features a cryo chamber. The chamber is a common amenity in today’s sports world and is designed to improve the recovery of the players.
The lounge features a personal, world-class chef that can make whatever the players desire for breakfast, lunch or dinner. There is plenty of room for seating and there are a few TVs for entertainment during their limited downtime. If it wasn’t for the Islanders logo on the wall, no one would even know they were venturing into a hockey practice facility.
The new locker room features a massive, well-lit Islanders logo above the players, reminding them that they pull the sweater over their heads every day for Long Island’s team. Now, if only they played on Long Island.
To see the full behind the scenes look, follow the Islanders on Snapchat and watch their story by following @nyisles.
And I'll say it again: This is now one of the best practice rinks in the League. Everything is first-class. #Isles
— Brian Compton (@BComptonNHL) October 31, 2017
