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Islander star John Tavares and several of his teammates made their first visit to their new home, Barclays Center, Monday night, watching the Nets beat the Bulls in Brooklyn. The Nets made the most of it by showing the group waving "Blackout in Brooklyn" rally towels on the big Daktronics screen late in the game. Tavares and Matt Moulson were also featured in a public service announcement about arena policy. And Alyonka Larionov (daughter of Hockey Hall of Famer igor Larionov) interviewed three of the Islanders about the playoffs and then four more on hockey lingo!
Finally (?), arena officials were quick to point out that the players arrived at Barclays via the LIRR ... and that it's possible the Islanders could be in Brooklyn by 2014, not 2015.
Expect a lot more of that cross-marketing soon: the Nets/Barclays Center management, led by Brett Yormark, is taking over Islander business operations. An official announcement is expected soon. The takeover will include marketing and ticket sales. Yormark and Islanders owner Charles Wang hinted at the arrangement last week during a Sports Business Journal event at Barclays.
"We need to introduce the sport and the game to a new fan base here in Brooklyn," Yormark said then. "How do you connect those dots? I think we're going to have to meet each other somewhere in the middle. The colors black and white are the new badge of honor in Brooklyn. The question is, can we weave that into their color scheme, and create a connection to the fans here in Brooklyn?"
Despite word that Yormark would like to re-brand the Isles, Wang has said the team's colors (orange. white and royal blue), logo and name, "NEW YORK Islanders" will remain the same no matter when the move to Brooklyn takes place, but there is an alternative jersey that no one would miss and could be rewoven in black and white.
- John Tavares a big fan of Barclays Center - Mark Herrmann - Newsday
- BCTV Talks Playoffs With The Islanders (Video) - Alyonka Larionov - BCTV
- New York Islanders Teach BCTV Hockey Terms (Video) - Alyonka Larionov - BCTV
- Islanders may change team colors with move to Brooklyn - Josh Kosman - New York Post
- Should The Islanders Get New "Brooklyn" Uniforms? - Lauren Evans - Gothamist