Taking Attendance

Isles were off ahead of back-to-back

Good Morning, Islanders Country.

Let me start with this: I think the Islanders have done almost everything right with UBS Arena (we’ll give them a pass on the retro goal siren attempt). The organization did extensive research around the league, drawing inspiration from the best arenas and sought input from the most knowledgeable and passionate Islanders fans to ensure that when you walked into UBS Arena, it felt, first and foremost, like the home of the New York Islanders.

Mission accomplished.

Each year, the gameday operations improve and become more creative. They added “The Park” at UBS Arena, a pre-and post-game experience unique to the Islanders. The retail village is having its soft opening, the All-Star Game is coming in 2026, and even with all that, the attendance versus the Detroit Red Wing on Tuesday night was 12,739, the lowest in UBS Arena history.

Well, why is that? Perhaps it’s simple math, and after years of spending $8 on a ticket 30 minutes before the game, a portion of the fanbase pre-conditioned not to pay top dollar to see their hockey team live. Maybe it’s the $40+ parking, taking the shuttle to the arena (for those kicked out of the garage), and $17 Stella Artois.

It could be that the Isles roster feels ‘stale,’ and there’s no organic excitement about seeing the team and experiencing the season live and in person (Any McDonald’s mascots available for puck drop?). Conceivably, the MSG Networks broadcast is so good (it is) that it’s cheaper and more informative to stay at home with Butch, Brendan and Shannon.

The answer is probably a little bit of everything.