New York Islanders Buying Hearts and Minds

The New York Islanders have a new set of majority owners this season. And already these new owners are out there pounding the pavement and paying the “leather tax” to buy hearts and minds.

Again just yesterday, New York Islanders co-majority owner John Ledecky met with season ticket holders at the NHL Ice Center. It’s the second such meeting since Ledecky and business partner Scott Malkin became the new majority owners this year.

This wasn’t a formal State of the Union type of address with season ticket holder, but rather an informal meet and greet. A chance to just shake some hands and hear some voices.

Ledecky and Malkin have big plans for the franchise. They already know that the Islanders are a playoff team, but they want to keep it that way and push forward. The goal from their perspective for 2016-17 is to win a second-round playoff series.

They’ve put their money where their mouth is. The team is spending close to the allowable limit, though to be fair a fairly stagnant cap lets them catch up to other teams that were at the spending limit last season.

Outside of just this upcoming season, the two want to add a fifth Stanley Cup banner to the rafters of the Islanders home barn. Something the New York Islanders faithful have been waiting for since 1984.

They are so dedicated to achieving this goal that they are even searching for a new place for the Islanders to call home. Even after just moving to Brooklyn from Long Island less than a year ago.

Counting Votes

These new owners know the cost of constantly moving a team around can be. Not just the obvious cost of building a new arena, but the cost in market share that would occur.

We’ve already discussed that moving a team around from Long Island to Brooklyn, and now to wherever the Islanders can get a purpose built arena will create some fans to jump ship at the constant moving.

Related Story: Barclays Must Match Isles Aspirations

To mitigate this the two have set to cater to their fans, reassure them that they have their best interest at heart. Ledecky and Malkin know that if they are to have any success in bringing this franchise to the top of the league they need a strong and dedicated fans base behind them.

And they’re doing a great job. They’re out there doing what needs to be done to pave the way for some difficult times ahead. The

The New York Islanders are likely going to move in the next few years. Whether it be to Queens, to Belmont, or eve back to Long Island, they’re going to move. It just doesn’t make sense to stay in a non-purpose built venue.

Next: Expansion Draft Woes for Isles

Meeting and greeting, shaking hands, and getting out there to the fans is the best way to ensure that you build enough grassroots support for your eventual campaign of moving the New York Islanders once again.