WELCOMING UBS ARENA
WELCOME HOME,
ISLANDERS FANS:
HERE’S THE UPCOMING 2021-22
UBS ARENA SCHEDULE
BY JOE PANTORNO
After a three-decade saga, the New York Islanders
and their fans finally have a home to call their own
as UBS Arena at Belmont Park opened its doors on
Nov. 20.
Gone are the days of speculations and uncertainties
that threatened the franchise’s very existence in New
York. Gone are the days of outdated amenities or the concept
of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole by playing
in an arena meant for basketball.
The $1.1 billion project built and completed in the face
8 SCHNEPS MEDIA | DEC.10, 2021
of a pandemic was made for the Islanders — providing
the intimacy and atmosphere of the Nassau Coliseum
with the state-of-the-art creature comforts that suddenly
make UBS Arena the envy of North American sporting
venues.
After a 13-game road trip to open the season, during
which the arena was finished, the Islanders are now
facing a heavy home schedule. Fans will have plenty of
opportunities over the next four to five months to see
their favorite team in their brand-new sanctuary.
Kevin Kane/KK Photo Images
December 2021
After a slow start to this season, December provides
the Islanders with a golden opportunity to make up
some ground in the Metropolitan Division. Ten of their
14 games this month come at UBS Arena against some
of the weaker teams in hockey. Eight of those 10 come
against teams that currently sit in fourth or lower in their
division, including the fledgling Blackhawks, the disappointing
Montreal Canadiens — who made the Stanley
Cup Final last year — and the Buffalo Sabres. But their
UBS Arena opened its doors to Islanders fans on Nov. 20.