The New York Islanders are making a few noticeable changes around UBS Arena this season, and one of the biggest is where fans will gather before games.
Ahead of Saturday’s home opener against the New Jersey Devils, the team announced that The Park has been moved and rebranded as The Park on The Plaza. The pregame spot is now on the north side of UBS Arena, outside the American Express Entrance, and it will open three and a half hours before puck drop, weather permitting. Fans can expect food trucks, lawn games, hockey activities and a beer garden with $5 beers.
One change comes with a catch: fans can no longer bring their own alcoholic beverages.
Inside the arena, the Islanders are leaning into some creative food options. The new concessions include a two-foot-long chicken cutlet stromboli, Mister Softee Nachos and a grilled cheese made with brie and Nerds Gummy Clusters.
Long Island’s Tap Room will be the first featured restaurant at the new Coca-Cola Corner, which will rotate local dining options during the season.
Saturday’s opener already had a T-shirt giveaway announced for every fan, and the Islanders added more promotions to the schedule this week. Ilya Sorokin bobblehead night is set for Nov. 27, while Matthew Schaefer’s bobblehead night is scheduled for Feb. 13.
The team also said Thursday it will unveil its Hometown Remix jersey in November and wear it for 10 home games that will highlight different parts of Long Island culture.
And the biggest date on the calendar is still to come. UBS Arena will host NHL All-Star Weekend on Feb. 5-6, bringing the league’s showcase event back to Long Island.
In Other News...
Islanders Bring Back A Beloved Home Opener Moment Fans Will Remember
The Islanders are set to open their home schedule with a familiar and heartwarming face in the spotlight. Dominick Critelli, a 105-year-old World War II veteran and decorated Army staff sergeant, will return to UBS Arena to perform the national anthem before the game against the Devils, bringing back the kind of pregame moment that tends to linger with a crowd long after the puck drops.
Critelli already left a mark on Islanders fans once, when he played the anthem on his saxophone before a game last December and drew a memorable reaction inside the building. He still practices the instrument every day, and this latest appearance gives the home opener a personal touch that fits the kind of connection the Islanders have tried to build with their fans at Nassau Countys successor in Elmont. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders New-Look Lineup Just Delivered A Much-Needed Boost
The Islanders got the kind of response they were looking for in their home opener, rolling past the Devils 6-0 and giving a new-look lineup an immediate lift. Simon Holmstrom, Brayden Schenn, Bo Horvat, Victor Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas all found the net, a balanced scoring outburst that suggested there may be more depth here than the early chatter around the roster change. It was the sort of start that can settle a building quickly and give a team some much-needed confidence.
Ilya Sorokin made sure the result never got away from New York, turning away New Jersey chances while the Islanders kept adding to the lead. The Devils had looks on the power play, but nothing they tried broke through, and the night ended with the kind of all-around performance the Islanders have been searching for as they try to make this reshaped group feel a little more settled. There was also a milestone baked into the win that fit the mood perfectly, even if it almost got lost in the scoring parade. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Fans Just Got An Emotional Reminder Of A Beloved Voice
Howie Rose has been part of New York sports for so long that his voice feels tied to the seasons themselves, and recent days brought one of those quiet reminders of just how much he has meant to the Islanders community. After recently calling the final Mets game of his broadcasting career, Rose is preparing to move with his wife to Florida on Monday, closing another major chapter in a New York run that stretched across generations of fans.
The Islanders recognized Rose for his long run behind the microphone, and several former and current players and colleagues took the chance to reflect on the way he covered the team and connected with people around it. For a fan base that grew up hearing him on television, the moment carried a familiar mix of gratitude and sadness, the kind that comes when a beloved voice is still very much present but about to become part of memory. [Read more 🡒]