Chat With Islanders Ticket Rep: 2022-23 Updates Fans Should Know

The New York Islanders and their fan base are getting set to embark on a special season. Not only is it their second year at UBS Arena, one that should be a bit smoother than 2021-22, but also will be celebrating their 50th season in the National Hockey League.

Our Stefen Rosner spoke with a New York Islanders ticket rep to discuss changes and updates fans should know ahead of the 2022-23 season:

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary

Although there is no news about official promotions that will be going on throughout the 2022-23 season, there will be an emphasis on alumni.

“We’re going to make a big emphasis on the alumni this year,” the ticket rep shared.  “And we’re going to treat every game like it’s a little bit of a party in itself. You’re gonna see the 50th-anniversary logo plastered everywhere.”

Last season, a season in which the New York Islanders family lost a handful of greats, the Islanders had an Alumni Weekend towards the end of the season to honor any player who played for the organization as well as remember the lives lost.

Former New York Islanders netminder and current president of the NHL Alumni Association Glenn Healey caught up with Shannon Hogan during Alumni Weekend to chat about the importance of honoring the past.

“I think the big thing, and I represent NHL alumni as a group, all 3,800, but the key is to honor the past. And when I look at this beautiful building, this is my first time in it, I look at the guys that played in the ’80s, that won 19 straight playoff rounds, a record that will never be beaten, those players, they paved roads for guys like me to drive on them,” Healy said.  “And the new guys that are playing today that have great hopes and great visions and maybe a Stanley Cup that comes in this building. So we have to continue to honor the past.

Owners Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky understand the importance, and one would think that there are many events planned during the upcoming half-century celebratory season.

Train Updates

New York Islanders fans, the ones that went, had been used to riding trains to games during the team’s time in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Although trains may not be ideal for many fans who used to love tailgating outside Nassau Coliseum (illegal, don’t talk about it), there are updates to come on that front.

“Yeah, lots of news to come at the end of September but it’s [train line] going to be ready, eastbound and westbound on the Hempstead line.”

People on the Babylon line will have to transfer to a train on the Hempstead line, or they can do the usual transfer at Jamaica.

Parking Updates

While the parking garage was being built last season, New York Islanders fans had a handful of parking options. But given the traffic near Hempstead turnpike, as well as the lines to find parking spaces, whether it be the South lot or the Emerald Lot or other options, it was chaotic.

However, the parking garage is up and running, and so far the reviews have been good.

“The parking garage is up and ready. We’ve actually had it operating for a lot of the concerts so far. We’ve heard great reviews about it so far,” shared the ticket rep. “Behind the garage, the South Lot is being torn down. It’s going to be turned into a retail village.”

It seems like the Lighthouse Project that former owner, the late Charles Wang tried to build in Uniondale around Nassau Coliseum may be happening in Belmont. There is no timetable as of now for when the retail village will be completed.

As for the concern about parking with the South Lot gone, that was only in place due to the parking garage not being finished in time for the start of the 2021-22 season. It was never a long-term parking option.

Now, parking garages can be extremely tough, especially when fans are trying to leave a game. But this parking garage has cool features.

“Three entrances and three exits. It’s high-tech. Apparently, there’s going to be things on your phone, like you can track where your car [is], you can see where the open spaces are.”

Understanding Ticket Price Increase, Ticket Plans

After the New York Islanders’ lackluster 2021-22 campaign, prices for season tickets as well game by game tickets spiked a bit. With the lack of “upgrades” to the team, many fans were discouraged by the costs and shared their displeasure on social media.

” I mean, we did pretty good on renewal rates. So the street rumor that we’re not renewing people, we’re having a bad renewal rate is just not true. We’ve done very well,” the ticket rep said. “And in terms of prices going up, I mean, no one wants to hear this, [but] inflation. We have to survive… and just because you have a bad season doesn’t mean you can necessarily just lower the ticket prices.”

Right now, New York Islanders tickets are on sale, whether you are a fan still interested in full-season memberships, half-season memberships, group sales, and more.

Also, there is a new update on how you can buy suite tickets.

“We’re on sale with everything, full season memberships, half season memberships, quarter season memberships. Group tickets are available for all the games, including preseason,” the ticket rep said. “And then we’re also on sale with single game suite rentals.”

“People can actually go online and focus suite themselves. They don’t even need to like call into the team. Obviously, we like that as a rep because we make the commission, but they can actually just go online and book the suite themselves.”

For suites, there are three different ticket packages, either eight, sixteen, or twenty tickets. The first two packages come with soft drinks and food. Twenty doesn’t come with anything, but you can buy on.

Going to Islanders Game With a Group

If you do not want to rent a suite for a game, there are also group deals that have some pretty cool perks, depending on what your group signs up for.

“Yeah, I mean, whenever they’re dealing with the rep have them ask the rep about it [perks] because there’s beer packages and scoreboard messages. There’s a photo on the ice, the 50th-anniversary hat,” the ticket rep said. “There’s a whole bunch of stuff that can kind of customize the group and really don’t even need that many tickets.”

“You know, 10’s the minimum just to get the beer package and 50th-anniversary hat and the color guard if you want to do it. And then obviously, you know, the more tickets you do, you can do some other experiences like the post-game photo or skate on the ice kind of thing.”