Brooklyn Nets are putting their own stamp on New York Islanders, Nassau Coliseum

Both Hockey News and Sports Business Journal report on how the Nets ownership and management are putting their stamp on both the Islanders and the arena they are leaving behind in Uniondale.

As Hockey News reports, the Nets management has taken over business operations for the Isles...

Essentially, the hockey team no longer administers or controls its own business operation, a highly unusual situation.  The agreement to move the franchise includes the provision that the arena pays Islanders ownership an annual sum to play at Barclays Center and, in exchange, Barclays Center acquired all ticket and suite sales, sponsorships, marketing and promotions and their revenue.

The change -- and move from Nassau -- will bring the same kind of changes to Islander games as the move from New Jersey brought to Nets games. For starters, the fan base has already changed.  Brett Yormark told Hockey News that only 25 percent of the season tickets sales are from Long Island, 33 percent are from Brooklyn and 21 percent from Manhattan. And tickets are "roughly twice the price of a ticket at Nassau Coliseum, although the premium tickets include free food and other inducements."

Moreover, the schedule will be less family friendly, with more games at nights and fewer games on the weekend, with only four home games on Saturdays and three Sunday or holiday Monday matinees.

Meanwhile, the Nets management team is about to take over Nassau Coliseum and spend the next 16 months renovating it, inside out.  That starts after this week's Billy Joel concert.  The management group for the arena, Nassau Events Center, includes both Bruce Ratner and Mikhail Prokhorov and is run by Yormark.

Not only that, SHoP, the architects for Barclays Center designed the new look. As SBJ reports, Disney Institute’s customer service training program will help hire Nassau staff. Levy Restaurants, Nassau’s concessionaire, will develop a Taste of Long Island food and drink program similar to what it does with Taste of Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Hunt Construction, the same firm that erected Barclays Center, is rebuilding the facility and the building’s interior walls will incorporate the same dark colors evident at Barclays Center.

Yormark said the next big announcement will be a naming rights agreement for the arena. Expect that in 30 days, he said.

• Islanders’ move to Brooklyn leads to unique business partnership with Barclays Center - Stu Hackel - Hockey News
• Changes in premium mark remaking of Nassau arena - Don Muret - Sports Business Journal
• Inside the Nassau Coliseum's $130 Million Makeover: Fewer Seats, More Retail, New Name - Ray Waddell - Billboard
• Brett Yormark talks about renovations at Nassau Coliseum, Billy Joel’s final concert there (Video) - WPIX