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Thirsty Politicians Are Trying to Bring the Islanders to Hartford

The governor of Connecticut and mayor of Hartford wrote a letter to the Islanders' majority owners offering up Hartford as a potential landing spot for the struggling franchise.
Photo by Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

The potential eviction of the New York Islanders from their home in Brooklyn may lead to the return of hockey in Hartford, if some politicians get their wish.

It was reported last week that Barclays Center, the Islanders' home arena, is planning on parting ways with the NHL franchise after the 2018-19 season. While many took the news as just another saga in the ongoing Islanders drama that never seems to end, others took it as a chance to petition ownership to consider their city for relocation.

In a formal letter addressed to Islanders majority owners—Jon Ledecky, Scott Malkin and Charles Wang—the governor of Connecticut, Dan Malloy, and mayor of Hartford, Luke Bronin, asked the ownership group to consider Hartford as a serious possibility for relocation. The XL Center arena, which currently seats over 16,200 and houses the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, is an ideal venue for the Islanders' short-term needs, according to the letter. And potentially much more than that.

JUST IN: — newsbell (@newsbell)February 3, 2017

The Islanders franchise spent 43 years in the old Nassau Coliseum located in Uniondale, New York, and it's been a difficult transition as the club has struggled to get its passionate fans from Long Island into Brooklyn to fill the near 16,000-seat arena. After several failed attempts to renovate and revamp the old barn, the team moved to Brooklyn to start the 2015-16 season—where financial setbacks, ice issues and terribly impeding sightlines for fans has made the team's tenure in Brooklyn a tumultuous one to say the least.

Hartford was home to the Whalers for 18 NHL seasons, making the playoffs eight times, including seven straight seasons from 1985-92. After five dismal campaigns, the franchise relocated to North Carolina as the Hurricanes in 1997 where it remains today. Gordie Howe famously played his final NHL season for the Whalers when, at the tender age of 51, he tallied the last 41 points of his legendary career.