New York/Bridgeport Will Practice At Charles Wang's IceWorks Past 2015

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/14/2013 03:24:00 PM | |

Iceworks Remains New York Islanders Official Practice Facility After 2015 per Charles Wang' Oct 2012.

That's what Charles Wang said at the Brooklyn press conference in October 2012.

Wang purchased the facility lease in a bankruptcy sale at or around March 2nd 2001. At the time former Islander Gerry Hart dropped a competing bid as he managed the Rinx at Hidden Pond Park in Hauppauge which still has ties to the club in 2013  with the P.A.L. Junior Islanders & the USPHL merger with Eastern Elite, Empire Junior Hockey Leagues which start in Sept 2013 and include Garth Snow's comments. 

On May 26, 2004, Hart sold the Rinx, and day camp to Francis J. Palamara, a business consultant, who formerly served as Executive Vice President for Aramark.


The Islanders release on 2013-14 team joining the new league at the Rinx
                                          
In an earlier entry here travel distances were compared to NHL rink among other teams in the division, the distance was a little over thirty miles, with some teams over twenty miles.

Some will recall the Islanders moved their offices out of the Nassau Coliseum basement in 2001. Wang's original plan was to construct a practice facility in Plainville, N.Y. for the club but had decided against it in this 2003 article.

Plainville is the home of Neulion TV, and the clubs offices in another building Charles Wang owns. 

Robert Thornton the first gm of the facility under Charles Wang passed away on Sept 3rd 2013. 

Mr Thornton and his wife resigned on 5/24/2004 filing a lawsuit in 2006 against the Islanders which from Islanders end was handled by 2011 Referendum firm of Nixon-Peabody.  Thornton was thrilled at Wang's purchase in 2001.

A few will recall the name of Dan Marshall became general manager of Iceworks, then was named head coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, only lasting for 2005-06.  The Ct Post reported in 2012 Marshall coaches and manages junior teams on Long Island

History: 
The New York Islanders 1972 training camp was held in Peterborough, Ontario. Trainer, Nick Garen, had the Islanders do strength and flexibility exercises on the infield of a nearby harness track. One driver complained that the players were scaring the horses. Bill Torrey did not allow the players to keep cars at camp, so everyone—Torrey included—had to walk the half mile from the Holiday Inn, where the team was staying, to the rink.

The New Yor Times actually paid a beat-writer named, Gerald Eskenazi, to attend camp---some things were better in 1972.

In 1972  the team would change into its equipment at the Coliseum and then travel by bus to one of the smaller, recreational rinks on Long Island, sometimes as much as an hour away. One time at Skateland in New Hyde Park, the Rangers were using the ice according to a 1982 SI article here.

By the mid 1970's the New York Islanders training facility was  Racquet and Rink in Farmingdale where a lady named Barbara Williams helped Bob Nystrom/other Islanders skating as the NHL's first female skating coach.

Barbara Williams power skating.

Some may recall the 1975 comeback practice video's aired a few years ago which was written about here, those were at Raquet and Rink. The three rink facility in an airport hanger was closed in 1980 due to financial losses here.
 
Cantiague Park  was the New York Islanders (National Hockey League) practice facility from 1979 to 1992. 

In Sept 2012 the Islanders opened a Pro Shop there with the players appearing.

In Sept 2011 the club opened a Pro Shop At Dix Hills Ice Arena

In October 1992, Hart, along with college roommates Thomas Mattioli and Randolph Nash, opened The Rinx recreation complex in Hidden Pond Park in Hauppauge, New York with a 20-year land lease from the Town of Islip..
 
The Rinx at Hidden Pond Park in Hauppauge was an Islander training camp facility in 1993, which Al Arbout & Don Maloney praised but one issue (money/personal) included was travel distance to Nassau Coliseum which ties into the Barclay's story  

The Rinx was re-branded to HPP Rinx, now it is again called The Rinx.

Islanders Iceworks was called the Long Island Skating Academy back then, it was re-branded to it's current name in 1997 here.

The club's current business directory does not list a specific operator or general manager of iceworks, only pro retail & merchandise operations.

My Point: 
Very simple. The New York Islanders owner made clear his team is going to continue to train at his facility in Syosset past the Brooklyn move. This team may well also be playing a few games at the Nassau Coliseum, and then there is the Sound Tigers factor. 

Islanders Iceworks is not going anywhere, it was time for some historical background.

The Ferraro Bros Ice Center, expected to be opened in Fall 2013 in Eisenhower Park was heavily advertised by Msg salesman Billy Jaffe earlier this year. 

Both Chris (via corporate bicycle) & Peter played for the New York Islanders or Sound Tigers in their later career.

"It really has no effect on players wanting to play hockey or not," Peter says. "The athletes on Long Island are great. There's great soccer players, great lacrosse players, great hockey players. The Islanders making the move to Brooklyn, I don't think that has an effect on youth hockey."

Plaza Surf N' Sports is a small family-owned retail store which was established in 1972 by the Ferraro family.