Eyes On Isles
Fansided

Islanders making good on word UBS Arena is “for fans”

By Michel Anderson

ELMONT, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: An aerial view of the UBS Arena as construction continues on October 07, 2021 in Elmont, New York. The arena will be the new home for the New York Islanders and is slated to open in November, 2021. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
ELMONT, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: An aerial view of the UBS Arena as construction continues on October 07, 2021 in Elmont, New York. The arena will be the new home for the New York Islanders and is slated to open in November, 2021. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Fans of any sports team often hear nice-sounding platitudes or cliché overtures from owners about doing things “for the fans”. But for New York Islanders fans it’s no longer platitudes, it’s fact.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Offside Tavern will officially have a place inside UBS arena. Islanders fans favorite bar will not only have a spot in the arena but will have a direct view of the ice. It’s clear that the owners meant it when they said UBS would be “built for fans”.

Adding Offsides to UBS is just another proof of that.

New York Islanders truly built UBS for the fans

The support to have Offside located inside UBS after it was forced to close its doors on W 14th street in Manhattan has been monumental. Offside’s initial tweet from over a year ago has well over 1,000 retweets and 2,000 likes. Not to mention individual Islanders fans directly tweeting their support at the club.

The tweet officially announcing that Offside will be inside UBS already has over 3,000 likes in just over 12 hours. Like one Islanders fan said on Twitter: “It finally feels like the Islanders get us“.

After years of feeling like a nomadic group of supporters, fans not only have a new (state-of-the-art) home on Long Island but it’s plugged directly into the culture of the fan base.

Fans get their favorite bar and their favorite sandwich shop in BlueLine Deli, at the arena. Both are quite important for Islanders fans. As an out-of-towner, grabbing a drink at Offside and something to eat from BlueLine were/are musts. It was/is like some sort of Islanders pilgrimage.

Now fans can get both on game day because this ownership group understands the importance both have for fans and the importance of making this new arena feel like home and the cultural hub for this fan group.

They nailed it. They really did. From the blue and orange colors in the halls to BlueLine and now offside in the arena, it’s clear that UBS is indeed “built for the fans”. And we all get to experience it in 10 days.

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