The Next Kate Murray For Islanders? Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/28/2012 08:31:00 PM |

This would be an image of Hofstra University President (since 2001) Stuart Rabinowitz hosting a fifty year celebration of Mets baseball in 2012 over several days, also having two hundred tickets available for free to students here.

The New York Islanders just celebrated their 40th anniversary, and had student discounts for countless years.

Let's meet the man who has (and will) play a huge role in determining if Albany assists Nassau County in any kind of public or private partnership with regard to the Nassau Coliseum as Stuart Rabinowitz was front/center when awards were announced last December here.

New York Signs John Persson To Entry Level Contract

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/27/2012 08:49:00 PM |
Red Deer Rebels: Official twitter feed reports New York has signed 2011 draft pick, John Persson to an entry level contract.

Red Deer Advocate has also linked to this information as the teams primary coverage.

NYIFC Comments:
Persson was signed in March to a Bridgeport ATO contract, participated in their playoffs, and played very well.

Signing him to an ELC was the next step for him to make a full time AHL/NHL jump, but it was not necessary until 5/31/2013.

New York Media Has Officially Proven NY Not A Major Hockey Market

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/27/2012 11:03:00 AM |
A few words updating our Aug 2011 entry to surviving tabloid professional journalism.

Is this what we can expect when the New York Islanders make a deep run at a Stanley Cup hopefully in the very near future?

5/24/1980 New York Wins Stanley Cup

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/24/2012 12:01:00 AM |

New York Islanders For Now A Time Of Meaningless Speculation

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/22/2012 03:06:00 PM |
We know the 2012-13 New York Islanders have the following players locked in barring a trade in a sport with few major trades.

Moulson-Tavares
Grabner-Nielsen-Okposo
Bailey
RFA Martin-Reasoner-Niederreiter

Also a decision has to play out with Parenteau.

We also know a lot of prospects who got a long look here need another chance from day one of camp because that's what development is.

Otherwise why draft/develop them?

Cizikas, Ullstrom, the many prospects in Bridgeport/college/juniors/2012 draft.

How do you go this far with Rhett Rahkshani after how he produced and not give him a full shot in the NHL?

On defense there are three key players signed, a lot of prospects who also did not look out of place at this level, along with decisions on Reese/other veterans.

Calvin deHaan played one game here, Mark Streit said he was ready to play at this level, how do you keep a first round pick in year four off the NHL roster?

I want to see former AHL all-star, Mark Katic get a full shot at this level because a year ago he had speed, and skill that stood out, if his shoulder goes again, so be it.

Anyone see anything so bad to suggest Donovan or Ness cannot play at this level?

This club could use Donovan's size badly on the backline.

In goal there are decisions to be made on Montoya, another on RFA Koskinen.

Obviously regardless of what happens with DiPietro/Nabokov it seems obvious Poulin or Nilsson can come up and play well if needed.

Sure, a lot of players are available that their former teams will be glad to be rid of in a trade, how do they help the New York Islanders?

Yes, there will be a new draft class, also a free agent period where the risk/reward factor again is not good for a mediocre overall group of players.

Beyond that it's all a matter of meaningless speculation about a season that may well not even take place.

One thing I will write that is not speculation.
1. You stick to your plan if you are Garth Snow.
2. No such thing as having too many prospects.

New York Notables

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/18/2012 04:57:00 AM | |
I found it fascinating former assistant gm, Gordie Clark, had a mild shot at the Isles (I guess Mike Milbury) for one reason why he left long ago in 2012?

But of course we have the past articles/comments to fact check.

In June 2001, Milbury gave him the additional assignment of heading the Sound Tigers operation here after already having the title of Assistant GM of the New York Islanders.

In July 2000, Clark's review of many former draft picks was dead wrong here.

In 1999 (guess who) praised Clark and the staff for the draft here with a ton of terrible choices, who then correctly praised Clark for Martinek here & made sure we knew Clark was the one who traded a top prospect for Adrian Aucoin here.

For those on Cody Rosen watch hourly, we did discover the original article where the Isles exchanged 9th round picks over dinner reservations here.

The best ninth round pick story is an Islander one. A few years ago
at the one in Boston, Harry Sinden had a dinner to go to so Gordie
Clark agreed to swap ninth round picks the next year so Sinden could
leave early.


Clark did leave the organization days prior to the 2002 draft, over money and philosophy, and it was not pretty here.

Clark said he was "looking for more of a commitment" and cited a "difference of philosophy."

And as it played out, Larry Brooks that summer took a cheap shot at the Isles for the dismissal, and I believe that article included a shouting match between Clark/Wang, after years of Brooks criticizing the clubs choices before he signed with Cablevision on 9/11/2002.

Mike Milbury got his final contract extension six days later here.
**************************************
Followup On Botta/NY Times Tom Jolly Entry From April 2011:


Chris Botta ‏@ChrisBottaNHL
@TomJolly Thanks, Tom! Thank you for the opportunity @nytimessports I loved it and hope to finish strong until end of NYR season.

04/5/2011 A Jolly Good NY Times: Meet Chris Botta's New Bosses.

NYIFC Comments:
Staged stories indeed. Funny a Dolan employee gone since June of 2002 had a comment on the Isles as former assistant gm, and the same day more cheap shots calling on current assistant gm, Doug Weight, not to become a sycophant as current assistant gm?

Truly sad.
************************
Charles Wang was in NYC for Smile Train on Wednesday while Dolan's paper was writing about how Mangano needs to borrow money to pay him (and others) past refund tax money from 2006-07.

2004 Tax Exemptions For Coliseum Should Still Be A Still Viable Option For Mangano

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/17/2012 07:11:00 AM |
No, this is not a 2012 news story or any kind of Coliseum update for the present.

NYIFC has a suggestion for Ed Mangano based on a 2004 article 9/24/2004 where Peter Schmitt (who's still the leading republican in Ed Mangano's administration) gave his views on financing a Coliseum renovation for Charles Wang (pre Scott Rechler) for the Lighthouse project.

Wang visited Schmitt, Jacobs and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi to explain his vision. He would not comment after those meetings.

While the financial details remain sketchy, Schmitt said the renovations at the Coliseum would be financed through the county Industrial Development Agency, which would result in state and local tax-exemptions for Wang. Schmitt said the state also would provide some financial assistance.

NassauIDA.com is still an active website with Mangano's comments in 2012.

NYIFC Comments:
This begs the question why does Ed Mangano not make the same proposal right now to the Nassau IDA/New York State, where whoever owns the Islanders receives the tax exemptions, & whoever owns the team also agrees to the same rent/revenue split Wang signed up for last summer on a thirty year lease without development rights?
******************************
I highly suggest folks who wish to read old articles with original wording and an easy to use search engine (far superior to 2007-2012 NYIFC blogger tagging system) to check out our former mailing list Islanders-Sound Tigers from 2000-2006.

It's been a very easy way to hold everyone (starting with Charles Wang) to their original quoted comments.

New York Schedules 2012 Coliseum Draft Party

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/15/2012 03:07:00 PM |
Islanders website announced 5/15 the club will be hosting a draft party at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

John Tavares, Matt Moulson, Matt Martin, Nino Niederreiter, Kevin Poulin, Ryan Strome, Casey Cizikas, Calvin de Haan will be in attendance.

Fans will also have the opportunity to interact with select Islanders alumni.

Duncan MacPherson Belongs In Islander Hall Of Fame

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/15/2012 01:08:00 PM |
Masslive.com: Had a very interesting article about former 1984 Islander draft pick, Duncan MacPherson, an exchange with his mother, and a new book coming out about his tragic loss which went unsolved over fourteen years.

 Cold A Long Time: Is the name of the book, and has a website for better background detail.

 The favorable economics of ordering the book directly from the author enable the author to donate 25% of the proceeds to Lynda and Bob MacPherson, who spent most of their retirement savings on their long search for their son.

NYIFC Comments:
Duncan MacPherson never made it to the NHL, he was bought out by the Islanders, but now that the team has a hall of fame, he should absolutely be inducted into it.
*********************
Nino Niederreiter apparently sustained an ankle/foot injury at the World Championships which he played through during his recent game, and is now out. 

What's Next For New York With A Possible Lockout?

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/14/2012 09:39:00 PM |
What's next for now is a quiet time for the New York Islanders heading into the 2012 draft, so far the World Championships are going well with no injuries.

The Coliseum media rhetoric will continue which means you should check the profile/background of the writer to see where that publication's own $ interest is. Many outlets are broke so they will take anyone who will write for free.

Charles Wang will likely not have anything to say unless there is a viable plan.  

Will there be a draft party, will Wang be at the teams draft table? 

On 5/11 Isles did announce a draft channel on ITV for 2012.

Recent history suggests no major trades by the Isles (or any team) during the draft weekend, perhaps an early deal to again secure exclusive negotiating rights with a pending UFA, but many times those deals do not lead to a contract. 

By the time we get to the draft, there will be qualifying offers to Matt Martin/Bridgeport players that turned out to an important moment from last summer.

After that it's free agency on 7/1 before the very real chance of another lockout, the top players will receive  massive front-loaded dollars in lockout protection money, many others will likely be waiting a long time for any contract.

It's impossible to know what's going to play out in terms of assistant coaches, that will have to happen likely before August.

Will the Coliseum be hosting the Isles prospects this July for a mini-camp?

Bottom line we go through the motions, and see what plays out this summer between the NHL/NHLPA, expect the owners to be more divided than the players this time, expect Donald Fehr to want his baseball model ending any salary cap.

Expect Gary Bettman to reject that, but the BOG (Board of Governors or Owners) are the ones who make the decisions.

Any CBA with a cap ceiling above fifty million should be simply untenable for any NHL ownership, having written this still some corporate teams will take a higher cap because they are willing to write off red-ink via their corporations, and trade away front-loaded mistakes once the largest early portions of a contract are paid off.

This is what you saw with Ryan Smyth in Colorado as one of many examples. 

Whoever wrote/said many teams would gravitate to the cap ceiling got it right. The number went from 39 million to 64 in six years under the flawed principal revenue equals profit which is only spending more to lose more with a higher revenue figure.

Revenue is not profit, anyone can spend an extra forty million to generate an additional twenty million in revenue, but you just lost twenty million more getting to those numbers.

History shows the New York Islanders came out of both lockouts completely unprepared.

I remember the article where Mike Milbury qualified everyone when a settlement came, you could see a roster with many holes because of those decisions which led to the 2005-06 team that employed close to fifty players.

Does this mean Garth Snow's approach would be similar? No, because every lockout brings different rules, which leads to new concepts whether it be front-loading or something else.


For New York What's The Right Defender To Spend On?

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/13/2012 07:49:00 PM |
As seen with Tomas Kaberle, James Wisniewski, and most UFA defenders, the production usually never lives up to the contract, especially when front-loaded.

Then there is Florida giving an over-35 contract to Ed Jovanovski (guaranteed money) sixteen million over four years.

The over 35 rule states that if a player signs a multi-year deal when the player is 35 or older, starting in the second year of the contract, that amount will count towards the team's salary cap regardless of whether the player is on the active roster or not. This is designed to keep teams from signing older players to lucrative front-loaded contracts, thus saving cap room, in which there is no expectation the player will actually play in the latter years.

This begs the question what's the right player to spend your money on in UFA?
1. Many UFA are players their former team cannot pay, do not want back at any price or have overpriced themselves for that franchise.
2. Many UFA are players frankly who played themselves off their former team.
3. Many UFA are players who have very limited options. 
4. The one or two top defenders will require front-loaded money (see Wisniewski) and not a smart option.

In other words give me the James Wisniewski who made three million here, not the one who signed for ten years massively front-loaded in Columbus. 

So What's The Answer For New York? 
Stick to the plan of developing. 

Boring answer but that's the best long-term guarantee of success. 

On defense this team has spent time and money on Ness, Donovan, deHaan, Wishart, Katic, along with their draft picks. Some of these players need their chance as MacDonald and Hamonic have received.

This blog has criticized Wishart not having a spot here from day one a year ago. 

This defense desperately needs size, scoring, skating, and physical players, a big part of this has to happen from within. 

Signing a mid-20's UFA defender from another organization may help or backfire, a trade for a quality defender means someone has to go of equal risk/value. Obviously signing the next Staios, Eaton, Jurcina or Mottau are not going to improve things because at best you carry one of them for depth.

The move to let go of Jack Hillen was a mistake that backfired based on who took his minutes here, that's the kind of mid-20's defender who may be worth a risk but Hillen's production was down in Nashville, and two goals does not give Mark Streit extra room to work with on a powerplay. 

Bottom line if there was an easy answer last years conference final's runner up would not have signed Bruno Gervais, MA Bergeron, then Matt Gilroy to improve their defense. Look at former Islander Andy Sutton, and the journey he has taken to be resigned in Edmonton?

Carolina's gm admitted a mistake in Kaberle.

No team signed Bryan McCabe.

Mike Komisarek looks like a nice local story until you see why he's struggled so badly for years, and why Monteal never looked back, while Toronto likely regrets his contact. 

There is no easy answer. 
*******************************
Clarification:
I wish to clarify from my last entry that Charles Wang in 2009 saying the Isles watch every penny in operating the franchise should in no way translate to Garth Snow's comments about having no  restrictions on spending if he feels the right player is there to improve the team as Snow has maintained many times.

This blog immediately criticized Snow for using the rebuilding word on 2/3/2012 here , he will be given no pass here if not consistent with his words.

As seen with the offer Christian Ehrhoff, received last summer from the Islanders, which he praised at his press conference, the Isles (as all teams do) have a top number with where they want to go with a contract.

I found the old transcript here, but did not tag it well, so I re-posted the entire interview. 

Charles Wang Februay 27th 2009 Interview Transcript Revisited

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/11/2012 04:35:00 PM |
Some may recall Charles Wang's interview with Newsday on 2/27/2009, I found it in NYIFC archives but did a poor job on tagging so consider this a repeat with a purpose because Wang makes clear Isles watch every penny.

Anyway here is the full transcript here.

Islanders owner Charles Wang invited Newsday sports editor Hank Winnicki, news side reporter Eden Laikin and sports writers Jim Baumbach, Mark Herrmann and Greg Logan to meet with him to discuss the Lighthouse Project in a wide-ranging interview earlier today. Also in attendance were Michael Picker, president of the Lighthouse Development Group, Lighthouse public relations head Paul Lancey and general manager Garth Snow.

Here is a transcript of the informative interview in which Wang and his associates attempted to convey their sense of urgency regarding progress of the approval process with the Town of Hempstead and other agencies (When Wang, Picker or Lancey are speaking in answer to a question or offering a comment, it is indicated):

HAVE ANY LOCAL INVESTORS SHOWN INTEREST IN PURCHASING THE TEAM/WANG:
No. We never solicited, nor did anyone come to us and say, 'Hey.' I don't think anyone anticipates that it is for sale, and it isn't for sale. I think if I made a statement, 'It's for sale,' we would have interest locally. We know we have interest outside local interests, but we have not heard from anyone here. Seriously, we have not had interest [locally]. If there's interest, we would listen, I'm sure. Like anybody else, we would be polite and civil, but I'm not looking to sell the team.

WHAT ABOUT QUEENS INTEREST AT PROPOSED WILLETS POINT CONVENTION CENTER/WANG:
We never spoke to them.

WHAT ABOUT BRUCE RATNER AND HIS ATLANTIC YARD PROJECT/WANG: I know Bruce Ratner, but he's got his issues to deal with. We're not contemplating anything there.

HOW MUCH LOCAL INTEREST VS. CANADIAN MARKETS OR KANSAS CITY/WANG: Or others. It's a big country we've got here. I don't know. There's not been anything that says we're interested or not interested. There's never been anybody who says, 'We're looking for people who are interested,' and there still isn't. Let me be very, very clear. I live on Long Island; I grew up on Long Island. I've been here 56 years. My determination, my goal is to build this thing and keep the team on Long Island.

IS IT A CONCERN THAT GLENDALE, AZ. FACILITY IS STRUGGLING/WANG: I think there's a fundamental difference, and it probably says more about why we can't do it the way Glendale did it. In Glendale, the owner of the arena doesn't have the income or the revenue from all around it. It's just the arena. So, when you go out of that arena and you want to stay later and have dinner, he doesn't get any of that. If you've been to Glendale, it's limited what you can get there because it's driven or out to all that development which has been done, which by the way, is beautiful if you've ever seen it.

SO THE HOUSING AROUND THE ARENA IS INDEPENDENT/WANG: Yeah, it's different developers. It would be the same model here if somebody said, 'Build an arena.' We said we can't. Things started basically when we went to [Nassau County executive Tom] Suozzi and said, 'Okay, what are we going to do?' I just bought the team to save it for Long Island.' Wonderful, all the violins were playing. Okay, what are you going to do? He said, 'I can't fix the arena. I don't have any money. We're broke.' He just got into office. He said, 'We're broke, period. Matter of fact, I have to find a way so we don't lose $1.5 or $2 million a year keeping it up.' I said, 'You've got to make the elevators work. We can't get up to the suites. You've got to put bathrooms in. This is nuts.' We pay for bathrooms. We pay for the dasher board that goes around the rink just to make it something. We clean it up as best we can, but we're not responsible for the arena. So, what happened is Tom said, 'Come up with a new way.' We said, 'Let's develop this as a destination for Nassau, for Long Island, really.' It can be shared so people come to games early, stay later, wonderful things. Because if you just want to fix the arena, he doesn't need the town. Why did we wait six years to get to the town? For what? You don't need it. So, when people say, 'He can go ahead [and build just the arena],' it's not my choice. The county made a decision. We're just the designated developer. It's still their land.

IN REALITY THE TOWN ONLY HAS HAD YOUR PLAN SINCE NOVEMBER, 2007/WANG: For the town's consideration, yes.

PICKER: But Charles has been expending money. This has been a very long process since we started this, whether it be laying out the 60-story tower and everything else. Those were designs, which were built based upon conversations we had with the county executive. We are moving forward on a lease. We actually had drafted a lease with the county executive, and then when he ran for governor is when this whole thing went into the RFP process. That's where it went into this holding pattern. Then it went from the four bidders down to the two bidders and then to the designated developer. But all along, you've had Charles expending the money to make the designs as we were moving forward. And it's going backwards, forwards, backwards, forwards. That's why we constantly mention the length of time because, in 2003, Charles was talking about this whole thing when we met with Tom and got this lease going. Money was spent on doing a lease.

LENGTH OF WAIT/WANG: I don't fault the town. I don't say the town has taken seven years. I made it clear at the [recent] hearing. It ain't that fast-tracked, though. Let's not kid ourselves.

HOW CAN IT NOT BE AFFECTED BY DOWNTURN IN ECONOMY/WANG: I don't know if it will be affected. I cannot even go out and get financing until I get approval. They'll say, 'What's it for?' I don't know. What can I do?

PICKER ON FINANCING: I've been having a lot of those conversations. The people we're talking to on the lending side are looking to know what and when we're going to need it by. It's been a difficult thing to answer because of this long trek we've been through. That's why it's important to move the ball forward with the town and the county so we can have some definitiveness to finalize things with lenders.

IS ANY FEDERAL MONEY AVAILABLE THROUGH STIMULUS/PICKER: There could be, but it's got to be approved.

STIMULUS FUNDS/WANG: There's all kinds of opportunities, and we're talking to different agencies, but we've got to decide, 'Are we going to be able to build it? And what is it we're going to build?' They may say, 'Yes, you can, but we only want a little outhouse next to the Coliseum.' If it doesn't pay, I'm not going to do it. Somewhere, somebody, we've got to make a decision. And it's got to be very, very soon. I mean, I don't want to put deadlines at this point. I will soon, I'm sure, put a deadline. But it's got to be very soon.

EXPLAIN 120-DAY LOOPHOLE IN LEASE/PICKER: As part of our designated developer agreement, basically, it's a function of Tom Suozzi and Charles and Scott [Rechler, Wang's developer partner] working together on a lease that gets it to the [Nassau County] legislature, and Tom is committed to do that. Once that lease gets to the legislature, they have 120 days to approve it or not. If they don't approve it, or if they reject it before the 120 days is up, the lease is terminable between us and the county. You had to understand that, when we got the designated developer agreement and we had to go to the Town of Hempstead, you have to understand the concern a developer would have that he's spending money with the Town of Hempstead on what they're going to approve or not approve. Then, to have to go back to the county and say, 'Now, I need a lease' after he spent all this time and money, there had to be some ramifications if it didn't happen. That's why it was very important to work with the county when we did the designated developer agreement to make sure everybody had some stake in the game in case, for some reason, politics becomes politics and we somehow can't get to the finish line.

TIME PRESSURE ON COUNTY ONCE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD APPROVES/WANG: Correct.

WHAT COULD HAPPEN IN THAT 120 DAYS/WANG; They have to have a legislative vote. If they approve it, great. We're gold and we go. If they don't approve it, I'm finished with my lease.

PICKER CLARIFIES: If they reject it in five days, five days is what it is [to end lease]. It's not 120 days we have to wait.

WHAT IF THE TOWN NEVER APPROVES THE LIGHTHOUSE/PICKER: I can't lease because I don't have the zoning authority to do anything.

THERE'S NO OPT OUT/PICKER: Charles would have to decide how long he wants to keep playing this situation. It's a matter of when you say, 'Hey, I don't want to do this anymore.' This happened in Plainview when Charles tried to do a mixed-use development here. We spent a lot of money and time.

WANG ON PULLING PLUG IN PLAINVIEW: We worked with a town consultant and came up with a plan and everything. In the morning meeting, out of nowhere, things got [off track].

PICKER CONTINUES STORY: The town supervisor was there, and it was decided he was not handling things properly. Before the night meeting, Charles and I spoke, and we decided, if this is not what they want, fine, we'll go on. Charles' only comment to them was, 'We're going to pull out, but you have to let me show the video of what could have been here.' A lot of people went off not being as informed as they should be. The supervisor announced that Charles was pulling the application and we're not going forward. The only thing is he requested to show the video. The video was shown and then came the 'Oohs and aahs. That could have been here? I didn't know that.' This is the same thing. You reach a point where there's an economic pressure, or you just don't want to do it anymore for whatever reason.

IF TOWN DOESN'T APPROVE, ARE YOU STUCK WITH LEASE/PICKER: Oh, yeah. We've done over 180 community meetings. That comes up, and we tell everybody, 'We know we have a lease. But whether it's here or somewhere else -- Bruce Ratner is the perfect example he bought a team, where he's leaving it in one place [Meadowlands] in order to get to another place [Atlantic Yard in Brooklyn] -- it doesn't hurt us in that time frame. Kansas City comes out [of potential bidding for Isles] because they already have an arena. But other places around North America could build a place [while waiting for Isles' lease in Nassau to expire in 2015]. But Charles has been very clear that we want it here. We want to make it go. So, we're pushing hard to get it. Like minutes after the scope got approved, we submitted 6,000 pages [of environmental studies].

WANG ON URGENCY TO BUILD: If we don't build this, shame on us. This is something that has to be done. If we can't, you tell me no. It's okay. I mean, really, we'll go where we're loved.

ARE YOU HOPEFUL OF STARTING CONSTRUCTION THIS SUMMER/WANG: Yeah, I think so. This truly would be turning the world upside down. You're really betting that, one, the county executive can get the lease within five or six days [after approval by the Town of Hempstead], and it's not going to get horsed around for 119 days. I don't know. The probability, the chances realistically, probably not. Difficult, but I've got to know. Certainly, there's a time frame in terms of when I must know where we're going.

IF YOU DON'T BEGIN CONSTRUCTION UNTIL 2010, WHEN WOULD YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT APPROVALS/WANG: Probably by June or July.

OF 2009/WANG: Yeah. But I don't want to have ultimatums. I have not done the ultimatums. I'm sure I will coming up soon because I'm going to tell them, 'Here's what it is.' But we've been, I don't want to say, jerked around on this thing back and forth for a while now. I'm committed to keeping it on Long Island. I want to keep it on Long Island. It belongs on Long Island. Let us build the damn thing.

PICKER SAYS ECONOMIC ISSUES ARE AS IMPORTANT AS ISLANDERS: It's more than an Islanders issue. One thing that came out of the scoping meeting from all the people that came up and spoke and that was jobs. There was somebody in the back of the audience that, when everybody was pounding their chests about nine months from the town [to reach this stage] said, 'Well, I know people who have been unemployed for nine months. They don't think it's very fast.' This is a much bigger issue. Part of our documentation we submitted says we don't believe the Coliseum stays if the Islanders aren't here. Charles mentioned the losses the county already is absorbing for their building. Those losses get even bigger when your major tenant goes away. So, the people who go to concerts, the circus, the exhibition hall, that's gone. Now, they're driving to Madision Square Garden or somewhere else. I think people are starting to understand that this is not an Islanders issue, this is something we need for Long Island. The faster we can get government to move, the faster everybody can reap the benefits of what this brings to them.

JOB AND TAX FIGURES/PICKER: We're talking about 75,000 jobs.

WANG ADDS: When it's built, there will be 20,000 permanent jobs. The [economic] crisis here will be very different than elsewhere then.

DOES BAD ECONOMY HELP/PICKER: When you look at it that way, yes. This is big stuff to people in the community. You've got services being cut or taxes going up. Our projections say, when it's fully built, it generates $71 million a year in tax money. I don't remember [the breakdown]. The sales tax is the majority of it. Of the sales tax, over $25 million would be earmarked for the Uniondale School District, which badly needs it. Then, you've got the entertainment tax and the property tax.

WANG ON PRJECTIONS: Let's say we're off by 50 percent. Let's get real about this. This is all benefits we need on Long Island. We've got to get going. We've got to do something here. We can't just keep fighting this thing. Do something. All this is just a catalyst to get us started. It's not the answer to everything, and I can say that. But as a catalyst, you like to be ahead of everything that is happening.

LANCEY ON AREA VENUES: Your newspaper covers nine professional sports teams. Eight of them will have a new or refurbished facility that's underway during the course of the next couple of years. For us to attract any of those events will become that much more difficult as a stand-alone [arena].

HOW MUCH OF $3.7 BILLION HAS TO BE FINANCED/WANG: I don't know. Give me the approvals. I can tell you.

PICKER ON FINANCING: It's all very doable, but that's an important point you brought up [about time it takes to read 6,000-page environmental impact study] that the town allowed us to do. We've been giving them sections of the EIS. The first section we submitted was in November. As we finish the sections, they've allowed us to give it to them. Once you finish the scope, there's the formality of giving them all of [the EIS]. That was just the formality. They've over these months since November received pieces of this as they worked their way to completion.

IS IT UNREALISTIC TO THINK YOU WILL GET EVERYTHING YOU WANT/WANG: Tell me what you don't want. Just tell me. Is that so complicated? Some people suggest it might be too ambitious. Some people think they may not like the color of the grass. 'It's green.' Tell me what you want and what you don't want. Then, I can make a decision what I can do or don't do. It's not complicated. But to throw up these things…Tell me. You don't like it, say it. You didn't like the tower? We made a compromise. Even though our surveys say 85 percent are in favor of this project. Fifty percent are concerned about the height of that tower. Big deal. That smokestack [at waste recycling plant next to Meadowbrook Parkway] is taller than everything on Long Island. Go back and check to see how long that approval took to get through. You're going to get the shock of your life.

HEIGHT OF SMOKESTACK/WANG 384 feet.

ARE YOU FLEXIBLE ON LIGHTHOUSE DESIGN/WANG: I just want you to tell me what you want or don't want and what I can or cannot do. That's all. You know my plan. You know what it is. Please tell me what you like or don't like. Don't tell me, 'Oh, come back to us because some people might not like this.' Don't do that. Just tell me what you want or you don't want. Then, I can decide. Why is that difficult?

CAN CONSTRUCTION BEGIN EARLIER WITH NO ARENA FOOTBALL/PICKER: It just forces us to do things a little bit different. Arena football is not the issue. We believe the AFL will be back next year. The construction, while it would have been ideal to start first in the bowl, we have plans that we can work around it. We'll start when we get those approvals and we can get everything in line. We're going to start whatever that day is. July, August, January, it doesn't matter. We'll just have to do it differently than we would have liked when Charles was talking about July, which made the most sense because it gave some certainty and it allowed the arena to basically be dark so we can work in the bowl.

NEED FOR CERTAINTY/WANG: More important than that is the certainty we're going to do it. Then, we can figure out what is the most flexible way to do it. But we've got to have the certainty we're going to do it. Right now, we're sort of in limbo.

THOUGHTS ON SUPPORT OF ISLES FANS/WANG: I think it's tremendous. As you know, I wasn't a hockey fan before I bought the team. It's so great. Now both of my little ones play hockey. One plays on a travel team, the other plays school hockey. It's great sport. I just don't want to see it leave here. Yes, [Islanders hockey] it's the engine. It absolutely is. That's what makes great metropolitan areas that people come to as a destination. You have to have things people want to see. Every major metropolitan area in this country has major-league sports.

YOU SEE THIS AS A MAJOR LEAGUE AREA/WANG: Yeah. It's got 2.8 million people. This is major stuff.

IS THERE A BALLPARK FIGURE YOU WANT FROM STIMULUS MONEY/WANG: No. I'm not going there. It's not contingent on nothing. We just want the approval so we can get started. Then, we can make our plans and get the financing.

LANCEY ON COMPROMISING: What does Charles make smaller? Does he get rid of some of the next-generation housing? Does he lose some of the jobs? Those are the things that will go away. You ask about the affordability. I can assure you, if the building is not here, it will be a lot less affordable to go to the Garden and drive to the city.

WANG: Just tell me what you want to do. That's all we're asking.

KATE MURRAY SAYS YOU COULD HAVE HAD COLISEUM DONE BY NOW/WANG: Who's paying for that? The county, the owner, says, 'I can't do it.' I said, 'I won't do it because that's your job.' How do we together do something that's good for Long Island longer term, create the kind of jobs and so forth. That's why there is sports technology [facility], to create industry and do something for all of Long Island. Here's the plan. This is what we want to do, work together. We came up with a designated developer and now, it's in front of the town. If you want to refurbish it, the county can refurbish it any time they want. It's their building, their land. They don't even have to talk to Kate Murray.

SO WHY NOT GO AHEAD/WANG: The county says no. They don't have to go to the Town of Hempstead. For them [TOH] to claim credit, like saying, 'If you want to refurbish it, we'll move it quickly…'

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO SAY YOU'RE ONLY CONCERN IS THE REAL ESTATE AND THE ISLES ARE JUST THE MEANS TO THE END/WANG: If that's the way they feel, good. What am I going to say? No it's not. I'm doing this thing because I want the Islanders to thrive. Don't forget, I didn't have to buy the Islanders. I bought them. I wanted them to thrive on Long Island. I'm going to make some money off this, too. I'm going to develop something here that's unbelievable. One day my grandkids driving down the Meadowbrook can say, 'My grandpa built that.' Whoo, that's nice. Right? If they want to say, it's because of the Islanders, fine. But is this good for Long Island? Let's not forget that part. It's going to help us sustain the quality of life we have and produce the kind of jobs that create the industries, not just jobs. But when you say Silicon Valley, Research Triangle, art and fashion in Manhattan, Pratt Institute. Long Island? 'We have the lighthouse out in Montauk, and we're only 30 minutes from Manhattan.' I think we have more than that. We have anything you want to do here, but we don't have a place. We need a place here that you can go to that is what we're about. We've got to stop just extending more strip malls. Somewhere, we've got to say, 'Let's build some economic engines that can drive the future.' That's what we're trying to do here.

DO BUSINESSES NEARBY FEEL THEY WILL BE HURT/WANG: I think they will thrive. Our retail is lifestyle retail catered around sports. Let's say we do the NCAA Frozen Four. Where are [fans] going to go? They're going to the world's second-largest shopping center [Roosevelt Field].

PICKER ON BENEFITS: Even local businesses benefits. To get to the Coliseum, you're going to drive through East Meadow if you come from one direction, and there's shops in there. They're going to benefit.

LANCEY: People living on site, it's not a prison, they can come out and go to restaurants and shops in the neighborhoods.

DO NEARBY RETAILERS THINK THEY WILL THRIVE/WANG: I hope they do. We've been educating. We've been out in the community having more sessions. Same kinds of questions as now.

FANS WANT TO KNOW HOW QUALITY OF TEAM AND PAYROLL ARE TIED IN/WANG: To get a quality team, you have to have the kind of revenue to support the payroll you want. You have to have the kind of facility where people want to come to watch a hockey game. The kind of facility where it's a destination and they want to experience it. Better economic condition, better team. Most players that come here they don't know Long Island. They think of it as the Marriott hotel and the rink, then get me to the airport. If that's the case, I better make that arena [good] because these are the two things they see. [Players ask] 'When are you going to get this Lighthouse? That's [the Coliseum] really a dump.' We know it's a dump. Because nothing has been invested for how many years now? It's like anything else, you start to revitalize and things get going. We want to be a catalyst to rebuild Long Island.

COULD RATNER MOVE NETS BACK TO LONG ISLAND/WANG: I'm going to answer this a different way, and there's no commitment. But imagine if we had it. Imagine if we did it, and we had that thing. 'C,mon, Bruce, let me show you where you could be if you want to be.' Now what do I do? 'C,mon Bruce, let's go in the back way because the elevator ain't working today.' Okay? I didn't answer the question. But think about it if we had this thing built…Imagine if I could do that here? But I can't. That train has left or that boat has sailed.

HAVE FEAR OF WHAT HAPPENS NOW IN TOH APPROVAL PROCESS/WANG: I don't know if it's a fear. We want to educate people about what's at risk, what's at stake. We have close to 25,000 petitions and letters we don't know what to do with. We were thinking of sending it to Kate, but then we thought she'd be upset at us….Hempstead Night should have been a glorious night. They put Kate Murray's picture up, it was terrible [the boos]. I was embarrassed. To send your receiver of taxes to drop the puck? That wasn't politically astute. They sent him out for the slaughter. [Hermmann aside: I heard Bill Guerin told him, 'Tough job, huh?']

WHAT IF TOH DOESN'T APPROVE LIGHTHOUSE/WANG: Then, my options continue to be open. Then, I have to make another decision. I think the county and the town ultimately will recognize [the need for the Lighthouse] because we elect these guys. They're supposed to serve us. If enough people say, 'You aren't serving us, they're going to get upset about it.'

KATE MURRAY IS UP FOR ELECTION/WANG: Really?

HOW MUCH MONEY INVESTED IN THIS SO FAR/PICKER: About $12 million.

WANG ON ISLES ANNUAL LOSSES: Don't forget, we lose about $20 million to $30 million a year on the Islanders. [Says you can look at books then reconsiders based on NHL rules against it]. But I knew going in what the commitment was. I'm not saying, 'Poor me.' I knew what it was going to get. I didn't think it would take this long to eventually get righted.

WANG ON LOSSES INCLUDING TV INCOME: That's real money. That's lost. Yeah, it includes everything.

HAVE LOSSES AFFECTED PAYROLL/WANG: We watch every penny. We try to be as conservative as we can. You see the attendance isn't that great, and you know the deal we have with SMG isn't that great. The more fans we get, we get admissions, but we don't get a cut of food, beverages or parking. Once we build a new one, the county is going to condemn their lease.

PICKER ON INCOME: Merchandise is up, we give a percentage of ticket revenue to them. We give them a fixed number for sponsorship now. It used to be 35 to 45 percent of sponsorship. We bought ourselves out of that this season. So, now, it's a fixed number we pay SMG.

WANG ON PAYMENT TO SMG FOR SPONSORSHIP: The reason is that the inventory we're creating, digital signs and things like that, we really want to be able to create without having to think. So, we paid SMG money and bought it all out.

WHY DID ISLES AGREE TO LEASE/PICKER: It's the old owners. We knew that going in. We understood the negative sides of it. But there was a vision that we thought we could pull off and we're hoping to do that and that we can push this forward in a timely fashion to alleviate all these types of questions that are out there to get us the benefits we've been talking about.

DOES IT SCARE YOU THAT IT'S YOUR LEGACY IF TEAM MOVES/WANG: I enjoy the journey. It isn't where it ended. It shouldn't scare you. You do the best you can. You're not going to do everything. What makes entrepreneurs business people is they have a road they go down, a general direction, you might never get there, but you better enjoy going for it.

WHAT'S NEXT/WANG: We're talking to the town continuously. In terms of the pressure on the town, it's going to be big because the fans are [fired] up. I didn't realize what happened on Hempstead Night, but there's some angry people out there, and that's not a good thing for any politician. Hopefully, they'll see it. What's next? We have a bunch of things they were working together with us. They accepted delivery of the 18 boxes of [ESI]. When they gave us the approval, they knew we were ready to submit because they'd been working with the same documents. Now, if they take 30 days to look at them, you've probably got a problem. So, we're going to gauge it and see. But we ain't going to get stalled. We're moving.

NYIFC Comments:
New York Islander Fan Central later had an entry on 5/3/2009 when Jim Baumbach held the books the Isles released to him for close to a month based on this interview after complaining he never received them.

If There Is No Deal In Nassau County The New York Islanders Permanent Home Should Be Msg

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/09/2012 03:05:00 PM |

I have my own solution that would permanently end all discussion about the New York Islanders leaving the metropolitan area.

It would certainly silence my criticism about the Dolan family.

The New York Islanders were Cablevision's team, they were to Charles Dolan what YES is to the Yankees when they were trying to get cable started on Long Island.

I read a lot of how the cable contract saved the Isles, would there even be a Cablevision without the New York Islanders?

This is from 1978:


Charles Dolan wanted to purchase the Islanders from John Pickett, they even signed a contract in 1991 here.

All I keep reading is how Charles Wang is such great friends with the Dolan family, some always tells me how much Msg needs the Islander revenue on their plus x whatever channel the games are hidden on, then they tell me how important the rivalry is, despite the teams never playing besides the regular season?

Fair enough, despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary it's easy to prove moving forward.

On 5/9/2012 the Dolan's AHL hockey team will play a home playoff game in Charles Wang's operated/managed Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport.

Updated:
A 4-0 loss in front of an announced 1,154 here.

Wang even went to Msg for their 3D game with Dolan here and despite his team losing 3-0 early was the only one who commented with Dolan present.

Friends share?

If the Modern Staples Center in Los Angeles can support three professional sports teams (two basketball) for over a decade explain why would Charles Wang's friends not let the New York Islanders permanently relocate to Msg as a last alternative?

We have posted enough articles about how the Garden threatened to close in 1982 without taxpayer assistance because it was losing money here & how it became permanent here.

New York City even provided low cost electricity here.

The Dolan's wanted to keep this exemption so badly they are renovating. New York taxpayers paid two hundred million for the 1990 Msg renovation according to Mr Keating in a recent entry.

Charles Wang obviously goes to Msg often, he wanted to purchase the Nets. Charles Dolan was at the Nassau Coliseum during the 2002 playoffs cheering here.

A decade ago the Nets were considering relocating to Msg, Dolan gave a no comment
here.

Of course YES was kept off Cablevision for a full year during the Yankee-Net era, when Lamoriello was involved with more than Devils hockey.

Why would Charles Wang's friends not let him permanently relocate to Msg?

Mr Bloomberg/NYC certainly would not object to another sports team that's been a New York franchise from day one being how much he embraces New Jersey football, with more revenue generated for local businesses.

Mr Bettman & the NHL board of governors would clearly not object as it would generate more revenue for the league. The New York Americans were the original New York NHL team at Msg, so two hockey franchises did share a past version of this facility before the Rangers kicked out the original tenant.

Enough New York Islander Fans are present at Msg when they play there to the point Rob Davison joined the Isles (from San Jose) and thought half the Garden was rooting for the Isles when they scored.

Last I looked the same transportation opportunities are in Manhattan that are in Brooklyn.

The Jets left Queens, who moved into Giants Stadium in 1984, they both built a taxpayer assisted facility for over a billion dollars, and the debt on the first Giants stadium was forgiven.

There was a short period a decade ago where the Yankees/Mets were going to being combined in one shared facility with a dome. The Mets did share Shea Stadium during Yankee Stadium's renovation from 1974-75, with the Giants, Jets, Cosmos for a brief period.

If the Dolan's are really supportive of the New York Islanders staying if all else fails in Nassau County this is their opportunity to prove it.

Last summer, I read many times if the Coliseum was closed all events would go to New York City.

So why not the New York Islanders?

That is when you find out who your true friends really are.
***************************
Speaking of friends, I would love to see the look on Lou Lamoriello's face when his team wins a playoff series, advances to the conference finals, and it's television carrier does not even have a studio post-game show because it's a road game?

Yes, both Msg channels have scheduled a post-game show for Dolan's hockey team after Wednesday's road game combined with Knick elimination coverage.

Nothing like saving money on a telecast, but of course Mr Jaffe was let go because a former Islander employee claims he was too critical of the Isles, not because his contract was up and Dolan did not want to pay Jaffe and Goring, who made clear he wanted to travel to all the Islander games during Jaffe's last season.

Whatever.
***************************
The Islanders did announce on twitter the black third jersey's will return next season on Wednesday 5/9.

Botta's Sourced Based Gossip A Waste Of Islander Fans Time

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/08/2012 08:31:00 PM |
Today New York Islander Fan Central is going to give former media relations coordinator Chris Botta exactly what he wants, we're going to make him " King " by his own past standards here which he correctly employed with Steve Simmons long ago.

It's time for all of you to demand this former New York Islander employee who resigned  in May of 2008 to finally move on or produce information with direct quotes.

Drop the insider source-game or let him know he is wasting your important time.
  
Botta's guilty of doing what he called out Steve Simmons for, selling himself and stirring the pot while giving you nothing between what he's never allowed to write about any other NHL organization's management. 

Our time is too important to waste with sourced-based information from a former employee with an agenda.

Charles Wang has not made the Islanders arena circumstances a game of public fighting, and has insisted it not be played out in the papers. Wang has made clear the team will honor it's lease, Bettman made clear how right now the Isles leaving is not being considered.

Neither has Michael Picker, Howard Saffan or Paul Lancey.

For the most part Tom Suozzi, Ed Mangano, Rob Walker, and Kate Murray have not made it a public media fight.

What does Botta write?
It's no secret the clock is ticking and the outlook bleak.....
Sensationalism 101.

Was Botta writing this about the Oilers last year, who's lease is up a year before the Isles and still don't have a ground-breaking scheduled? This blog  wrote an entry about how Wang will have to start threatening soon a year ago in May 2011 here & pointed to Darryl Katz's comments in July 2010 here.

New York Islander Fan Central stopped using Botta's entries here even before Garth Snow left him outside the media conference at the trade deadline in February 2010. 

At the time this blog wrote he should write what he wants, it's not our business.

Obviously since then he's forced the issues many times by making the news,  the Islanders were correct. 

Botta can no longer get direct quotes from anyone about his former team, all he can do is write so-called insider,  sourced-based gossip or twitter shots at his former employer, who's blogging job he accepted after he resigned, then by his own account, turned down another............" kind/generous offer of support " in July of 2009.
 
I believe an increasing number of fans have finally grown tired of  Botta's act as well, who's grudge and agenda with management frankly has no cap floor after continued unfortunate dialogue about a former Flyer camp invitee drafted by Garth Snow in goaltender, Cody Rosen, a kid in college who did absolutely nothing to deserve this.

Rosen was interviewed last June 29th in the Waterford Daily Times.

I could not find a link, but I'm sure there are folks out there who remember the Isles/Boston exchanged 9th round selections once because someone had dinner/travel reservations.  

People who claim to be professional, who employ those tactics about an organization they have no current association with are only interested in making themselves noticed.

How can this be the same Chris Botta who's intentions were wonderful for Brandon Sugden long ago?

Chris Botta's no more a prospect expert than any fan writing on a blog or message board, he's not a draft expert nor do teams hire media relations coordinators to work in player/prospect development.

Is it that big a secret that when Botta asks someone about Ryan Strome's potential that person cannot even give his name? 

I found myself amused as he tried to compare forty goal scorer Jason Blake's contract negotiation at age thirty three with two year NHL player PA Parenteau, who's nine years younger after his second full NHL season.

Bottom line either provide a direct quote or stop wasting everyone's time in an attempt to garner attention.

Alan Walsh speaks for Parenteau, who's hardly shy, he fired back at Dolan's beatwriter Arthur Staple earlier this year, who labeled Walsh as sensitive. 

New York Islander Fan Central set our policy on 7/10/2000 & we updated this viewpoint in 8/2011 entry.

It's very easy finding entries to write only using direct quotes or articles with actual information. This blog does not accept sourced-based material.

Rich Hammond was a long-time Kings writer who lost his beat at the Los Angeles Daily News due to coverage cut-backs, the organization hired him, and his work is outstanding despite many rough years for the Kings over a decade.

I would venture to guess Mr Hammond did not get hired by the organization for making Tim Leiweke, Dean Lombardi or their predecessors business continual part of the daily dialogue during a period the Kings missed the playoffs for six years in a row?

What's ironic is in May 2008 New York Islander Fan Central asked Chris Botta a question about paying for media coverage here which he shot down quickly.

By December 5th 2008 he was calling for teams to host media on the road.

This is the same Chris Botta who told me Dolan purchasing Newsday  meant a solid chance coverage would be enhanced?

Of course a former media relations coordinator changing his view about media coverage is not the issue.

This blogs advice to it's readers are demand everyone give you names with on the record quotes or that those individuals stop wasting your important time.  

That is how you end the circus.

Chris Botta is " King " for the final time here.

He permanently becomes " Court-Jester " from this point forward.

Brett Yormark Is Allowed To Purchase New York Islanders

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/07/2012 03:37:00 PM |
Please let me make this absolutely clear, this entry in no way implies any rumor of Charles Wang selling the New York Islanders or moving them anywhere.

My preference is that Charles Wang owns the New York Islanders, and the team remains at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in a new/renovated building. 

This entry is entirely to let my readers know what I became curious about over the weekend when I read that Michael Yormark is the President & Chief Operating Officer of the Florida Panthers NHL Hockey Team, and the Bank Atlantic Center. 

I recalled seeing CEO, NETS Basketball, Brett Yormark's comments about the Islanders and wondered if they were related? When I discovered they are brothers it led me to the rules for cross-ownership in one sport.

Michael Yormark has a very active twitter account which has landed him in a few rough exchanges, with the Devils fans recently here & over the criticism of Panthers beat-writer, George Richards, in March of 2011 here.

I asked, he replied. That's it.  
Bottom line if Mr Yormark wanted to be involved with a group to purchase the New York Islanders at some future point or do so himself NHL laws would allow this. 


Until I prepared this entry on Monday 5/7, I did not see this from Brett Yormark on 5/5, I would strongly suggest not connecting this with the New York Islanders in any way.

New York Wins Nineteen Straight..The Greatest Team Ever

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/05/2012 09:25:00 PM |