Average Attendance Since Lockout: 12,842 (79.4 percent)
I will cut the Islanders some slack because Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum has gone from "Fort Neverlose" to "Fort Decrepit" since the team’s heyday in the 80s.
The reason that the Islanders are not in Quebec City, Seattle or Kansas City right now is because of the loyal fans who show up to an outdated arena to see a putrid hockey team play year in and year out. Fortunately, this club is safe and sound now that we know they will be playing in Brooklyn in the near future.
It’s hard to tell if that team will ever have a large fanbase because there are many people in Brooklyn who are Ranger fans, and the team is moving from its fans on the Island.
However, due to its configuration, the Barclays Center can only hold around 15,000 hockey fans, and following the move, it will be hard to believe that the team can’t fill a small arena like that in years to come.
