New York Islanders opened their new $1.1bn UBS Arena with back-to-back defeats over the weekend.
The 17,250-capacity venue was packed for the visit of Calgary Flames on Saturday, with the team also hosting Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. The home team lost both games, with some fans booing the team at the end of play.
Despite the disappointments on the ice, the team shared a host of videos and images from the grand opening.
We also saw fans enjoying their first beers at the new venue – although some may have been drinking to numb the pain of the team’s poor performances!
The venue, located at Belmont Park, is operated by Oak View Group, with Delaware North managing food and beverage services.
The construction project began in 2019 after years of discussions over departing their traditional home at Nassau Coliseum.
The arena will host more than 150 major events annually, with its opening concert featuring Harry Styles on November 28. Eric Church, Genesis and Sebastian Maniscalco are lined up for the coming month. UBS Arena has a capacity of 19,000 for concerts.
UBS Arena says it will deliver clear sightlines and premier acoustics. In an effort to build a greener future, UBS Arena intends on being carbon neutral for operations by 2024, which will make it the first arena to do so on the eastern US seaboard.
The arena and surrounding development are expected to create 10,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs, generating approximately $25bn in economic activity over the term of the lease.
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