Start time for NY Islanders vs. NY Rangers game at MetLife Stadium revealed

It should feel toasty inside MetLife stadium compared to the last time the New York Islanders and New York Rangers played an oudoor game at Yankee Stadium in 2014. This time, the weather should be more accommodating and manageable in the middle of the afternoon and give fans of both teams plenty of time to tailgate in the parking lot beforehand.

That's because, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, the start time for the game in East Rutherford, NJ will be at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, Feb. 18th. Those that were in attendance in the Bronx nearly a decade ago recall the frigid conditions and late start time unbearable at times as spectators did all they could to remain warm during the Blueshirts 2-1 win. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers will drop the puck the previous night at 8:00 PM ET.

The New York Islanders are honored to have been selected by the National Hockey League to host a game at MetLife Stadium. "Our fan base is one of the most passionate in the NHL and deserve to experience this memorable event, along with our players and the entire organization. We look forward to playing our division rival inside one of the largest professional stadiums in the country.

Capacity for the game at where the Giants and Jets call home will be over 75,000, compared to the 50,105 that braved the elemnts at Yankee Stadium in 2014. Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas aand Josh Bailey all were on the ice that night for the Isles. Chris Kreider is the only member of the Rangers to play in the game nine years ago.

The game will be counted as an Isles home game as the Rangers lease with Madison Square Garden doesn't allow them to host games outside of the arena. The full 2023-24 schedule with the dates and times of the other Islanders and Rangers games will be released later on Tuesday.