Wang, Lighthouse still on

Charles Wang has not made up his mind yet - as many expected would be the case after Nassau County abused the October 3 deadline he set for the Lighthouse Project.

He released a statement yesterday that explained his current situation with the project. The statement came as a result from an article that appeared in the less than glamorous Long Island Press about Wang's plan to abandon the project altogether.

“Yesterday’s report on the Lighthouse Project which appeared in the Long Island Press is untrue. There are no plans to abandon this project which is so vital to the future of Nassau County and Long Island as a whole," he said. "As far as the status of the Lighthouse project, we have submitted to The Town of Hempstead and Supervisor Kate Murray all the studies and required documents. A lease has been negotiated. Supervisor Murray and the Town Board need to make a decision on the zoning."

Furthermore, Wang said, "Long Island stands in this defining moment waiting for an answer. Yes or no. Moving forward, we will not discuss any meetings in the media. Any reports of meetings should be considered untrue. My heart is still on Long Island. I love Long Island. This is where the Islanders belong. Let's play hockey."

This soap opera song and dance will continue some more - let's up the ending is more happy than dramatic.

Isles to Queens?

It's just a possible situation - the first of many to come over the next month or so- but Charles Wang already has one offer, just days after he told Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead to pounce off.

The plan, presented by Queens Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Jack Friedman, would have the Islanders playing in Willets Point, Queens, close to where the Mets play at Citi Field.

"Option number 1 should be Queens," Friedman told Newsday. "We are ready for him. You're talking about a property that has access to the Long Island railroad, the subway system, the airports. It already has a huge parking lot because of Citi Field. It already has the parkway access. It's so ready for a development like this. The Lighthouse project would be a perfect fit.""

Friedman believes a potential new home for the Islanders would fit perfectly as a centerpiece in the city's plans for the Willets Point area, he told Newsday. If the plan was accepted - which is a longshot right now based on the entire situation, which is turning out to be a debacle - then it would not have an official ground-breaking for a few years. This is fine since the Islanders have a lease agreement at the Nassau Coliseum until 2015 anyway.

The positives are that fans from Suffolk County still have about a 45 minute drive to see the Islanders - it's just straight down the LIE, instead of taking Northern State to the Meadowbrook to Hempstead Turnpike. It's also nice for Mets and Islanders fans to house both of their teams in a similar area, like many other cities do. If only the New York Jets played in New York - that's an entirely different story, for an entirely different blog.

(Photo on StadiumPage.com - shows a revitalization shot of Willets Point with Citi Field on the left and a fictional stadium for possibly hockey on the right)

Isles opener a thrilling contest

It's only Game 1 and it resulted in a loss, but the Islanders put on a good show for opening night at the Coliseum.

John Tavares had a heck of a debut, scoring his first career NHL goal and recording his first assist. He also missed a key breakaway, flubbed a shot in the sudden death shootout and whiffed on two shots from the left flank on power play situations. The good thing is that he was able to get himself in those situations and through time, he'll make good on those opportunities.

The crowd was electric - more so than any other regular season game at the Coliseum in the last five years. That was expected.

As for the game, no one was expecting the Islanders to pull out a win, but for most of the contest- all while surprisingly being out shot - it seemed like they were going to prevail. But just when the win started to sink in, with 3:45 left the Penguins scored to tie it at 3. And so it goes, the Islanders will have a long season as always. It might not be as bad as last year, but don't expect fireworks.

On a positive note, Kyle Okposo looked great - no signs of a concussion from two weeks ago. The team's physicality was remarkable, especially after many ripped the organization for not going after tough guys in the off-season. There were two fights, two scrums that were almost fights and numerous big hits from Islanders.

During the game I got an email from the organization saying weekend game tickets are buy one, get one free for the first half of the season (Only if you received this special email). I don't know if that's a good thing to see, or not, but if every game was like last night's I'll be happy.

The Lighthouse

Charles Wang announced that he'll be looking into other options for the Islanders, officially after not hearing by the October 3 deadline about the Lighthouse Project. Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray said she will be having a discussion with Wang on Monday afternoon to talk about amending the proposed plan. Wang was not happy and 2015 could be the last year of the Islanders if something doesn't change drastically.

Opening night, deadlines loom

Tomorrow is the deadline for Charles Wang's Lighthouse project - which just so happens to be the opening game of the 2009-10 season for the Islanders. It's day that could possibly live in infamy for Isles fans. Only time will tell.

A day after a lease was announced that will keep the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum until 2030, Islanders fans and Long Island enthusiasts are anxious to see what will happen by tomorrow. Will the Town of Hempstead wake up and come to an agreement with Wang? Will Wang become angered and do something drastic if Kate Murray says the Town is not interested in the Lighthouse?

Here are some key points about the deadline and what Wang may or may not do:

-He could sell the team, but the Islanders would have to remain at the Coliseum until 2015, the year the current lease expires.

-He could move the team after 2015. According to Newsday, he has about eight offers to house the team from places like Queens, Brooklyn and Kansas to Hartford and Hamilton, Ontario.

-He could take a punch to the gut, do absolutely nothing and wait for the Town to make any sort of decision.

Stay tuned for a weekend post about opening night on Saturday against the Penguins. It should be a fun time - win or lose.

Murray gives Wang mandates for Lighthouse

In possibly her best move yet, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray gave Islanders owner Charles Wang a list of mandates regarding the Lighthouse situation.

Last Friday, she sent him a letter saying she does not care for the October 3rd deadline, which Wang set. "As is always the case in town board decision-making, getting it done right is more important than getting it done fast," Murray told Newsday.

The mandates are:

-Making sure the Islanders play only at the Nassau Coliseum

-Prohibits Wang from seeking tax abatements, which affect the millions of dollars in taxes the project would generate

-Wang has to employ local workers and pay them prevailing wages

-Wang can not sell his development rights after winning zoning approval

Although many have painted a picture of Murray being the bad person in this mess, after stating these mandates, she clearly grabbed the hearts of Islanders fans by making sure the team stays on the island and that the initiative favors the needs of Long Island and its citizens.

(Photo Courtesy NYI)

Lighthouse zoning hearing same day as KC game

Is it a coincidence? I think not. After waiting over 25 days for the Town of Hempstead to schedule a date for the Lighthouse zoning hearing, Town Supervisor Kate Murray finally chose Tuesday, September 22 as the day. It will consist of three sessions (9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.). They will be held at Hofstra's Adams Playhouse in the middle of campus.

The catch? September 22 is also the day the Islanders are scheduled to play their pre-season game in Kansas City - also a city rumored to want an NHL team. Thank you very much Ms. Murray for pissing Islanders nation off, once again. If this Lighthouse proposal does not go through, don't expect Ms. Murray's political career to advance any further than it already has. While it's commendable that she is the first woman to serve as Town of Hempstead Supervisor, let's hope for her sake that she gains another re-election when this term is up. Only the vote will tell.

There is also a "yes or no" time stamp scheduled for October 3, for which the team needs an answer about the project. That's also opening night for the Islanders, who host the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

(Photo courtesy LighthouseLI.com)