Nassau Coliseum
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Nassau Coliseum, officially known as Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (though colloquially referred to simply as "The Coliseum"), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, half an hour from New York City. It is home to the New York Islanders National Hockey League team and the New York Dragons Arena Football League team.
The Coliseum was home of the New York Saints National Lacrosse League team from 1998-2003, but the Saints became an inactive team in 2004. Earlier, the Coliseum had hosted the New York Arrows and later the New York Express of the original Major Indoor Soccer League. Before that, the Coliseum had been home to the New York (now New Jersey) Nets National Basketball Association team from 1972-1977.
The Coliseum is also used for concerts and large exhibitions and shows of various kinds. Billy Joel is one of the Coliseum's most prolific tenants, holding multiple shows at his hometown arena over the course of his tours. For a time in the mid-nineties, he even had his own "retired number" banner, along with those of Islander greats, hanging from the rafters to commemorate his many Coliseum sellouts.
The Nassau Coliseum opened in 1972 and previously hosted minor league hockey prior to the awarding of the Islanders franchise. It originally had a capacity of 12,000 to 15,000 depending upon the event, but in the early 1980s the maximum capacity was increased to around 18,000.
The Coliseum is currently the third-oldest arena in active use by an NHL team, and is generally considered to be obsolescent. In late September 2004, Islanders ownership announced a very ambitious project to renovate the Coliseum and add housing units (including affordable housing units) and an adjacent tower, at a projected overall cost of approximately $200 million.
Despite the obvious flaws of the outdated facility, the Coliseum is still considered to be one of the toughest arenas for opposing players, primarily because of the intensity of the crowd noise that echoes around the interior. For example, during the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in 2002, in which the Islanders squared off against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Islanders won all three games played at home in a series dominated by the Leafs' home-ice advantage; had the deciding Game Seven been held at the Coliseum, it is widely considered that the Islanders would have advanced.
External reference
- Official website (http://www.nassaucoliseum.com)