Islanders’ new minority owner John Collins eyes hosting ‘tentpole’ events
John Collins was not looking to make an investment ina sports team.
That only ended up happening after he was approached by Scott Malkin about joining the Islanders organization.
It just evolved as part of the conversation, said Collins, now the Islanders operating partner and a minority owner, in his first public comments Friday since making an investment in the franchise over the summer. What level of commitment I wanted to make and really the role that Scott and Jon Ledecky felt I could bring to the club. So Im happy to be part of this group. I think its among the best in the league.
Being able to also partner with Lou Lamoriello, a Hall of Fame GM and icon of the league, someone who I always admired and respected while I was at the league. I reached out to Lou a lot for help and for his perspective on things and so we built a really strong relationship. And so him being here as well is another reason to join the club.
Collins has a long history as an executive that includes a nearly 15-year run with the NFL and nine years with the NHL over which he was largely credited for creating the Winter Classic.
He most recently worked as the CEO for OnLocation Experiences and in the same role for Sports Entertainment Acquisition Corp.
3New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky, fourth from left, and former Islanders players Denis Potvin, third from left, and Bill Smith, center, pose with team officials at the grand opening of The Park at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. APJohns rsum speaks for itself, Ledecky said before the Islanders’ 5-1 win over the Capitals. But to have a chance to reimagine this campus and reimagine hockey in New York is a great opportunity. … You have a guy with tremendous experience in knowing how to run large-scale mass events.
Collins role with the Islanders, in short, is to focus on business operations, including Fridays occasion: the opening of The Park a pair of outdoor rinks, beer gardens, food trucks and carnival games outside of UBS Arena that the Islanders hope will help get more people to games and spending more time on their Belmont Park campus.
Everythings already here, Collins said. The arenas here, its pretty nice. Its year three and theres a lot more still to go.
3John Collins has joined the Islanders and will have a role on the business side. APThe Islanders are still quite proud of the $1 billion building that opened in 2021 as a long-sought replacement for Nassau Coliseum.
The hope is to eventually host some of the leagues flagship events the All-Star Game or Winter Classic, for example though that will require nearby hotels to be built.
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We know what the league really would like for its big tentpole events, Collins said. Obviously, were in the Stadium Series, and it was important for us to show the league we could really activate like this. This was a Super Bowl, Winter Classic-esque fan festival that were doing out here in Belmont Park.
I think the league, theyve been to the building. They, I think, appreciate the investment that was made by Scott and Jon and Dewey Shay in the building and OakView. Were having active conversations about how we can be better partners for them and, by the way, they want to showcase hockey in New York.
It is an oversimplification to act as though things are perfect with the new arena.
Attendance is down slightly this season which Ledecky attributed to oversaturation, with the Islanders having a lot of home games recently while getting to the arena and parking remain a challenge (though the Islanders are happy with how many people are using the Long Island Railroad to make the trip).
3Jon Ledecky, Islanders co-owner, second from right, drops a puck as former Islanders players Denis Piotvin, second from left, and Bill Smith face off at the grand opening of The Park at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. APFor a franchise that spent so long trying in vain to find a new arena, though, these are champagne problems.
This is as nice an arena or stadium as Ive seen in the country, Collins said, and so the bar is raised.
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