Arena News
Report: Nassau Coliseum Capacity Increasing for Game 6
If 6,800 fans were loud during Game 3 and Game 4 at Nassau Coliseum, imagine the decibel level for Game 6 when 9,000 fans will be allowed in, according to a report from Newsday’s Andrew Gross.
Capacity will be increased to 9,000 spectators for Wednesday’s Game 6 as the New York Islanders look to close out their series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It would be the first time since 1993 that the Islanders could close out a series on Nassau Coliseum ice.
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The number of fans in the vaccinated section of Nassau Coliseum will increase, allowing for the total number of people in the building to go up as well. The Coliseum has been separated into two sections, with fans fully vaccinated on one side and those who are not vaccinated yet on the other.
“It will be louder. It will be a great atmosphere,” head coach Barry Trotz said. “It will be fun. It was a great atmosphere last game. Have to make a call to the governor to see if he can open it right up for us. Get all our fans in there.”
Season ticket holders reportedly began receiving emails from the team about increasing capacity for Game 6 earlier in the week.
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This season marks the team’s final run at the Nassau Coliseum and they are expected to move into the brand new UBS Arena in Elmont in the fall. So the Islanders are trying to make the most of their time at the Coliseum while they have some.
Should they win and advance on Wednesday it would be a feat the Islanders have done on Coliseum ice since April 28, 1993, when they defeated the Washington Capitals 5-3 in Game 6. As for pulling it off, Trotz believes the team’s success rides on one thing.
“We got to our game and we stayed to our game,” Trotz said. “That would probably be the statement. When we get to our game and we’re able to stay with our game, in those really important clinching games, we’ve had success. When we haven’t been able to, it’s a little more difficult to.”