The New York Islanders will have their first home opener at UBS Arena on November 20 against the Calgary Flames. While Isles fans are excited to finally be at UBS, several are rather disappointed that the Flames will be the first visiting team to play at the new arena. However, it is very symbolic that the Islanders’ first home game will be against Calgary. 

1972  

The New York Islanders’ first ever game was the home opener at Nassau Coliseum on October 7, 1972. The first team that the Islanders franchise ever played against was none other than the Atlanta Flames (currently the Calgary Flames). The Flames were also playing their first game as a franchise that same night. 

The two teams were purposely put against each other for their first games. The NHL figured that both the Isles and Flames would have lots of losses ahead of them in their debut seasons, so they wanted to give one of them a win for their first game. Even the Islanders’ General Manager Bill Torrey was pessimistic heading into the game as his team did not see much success in the expansion draft.  

The game was rather disappointing considering it was both teams’ first ever game and the Islanders’ home opener. “The game was much less exciting than the score indicated”, a reporter said after the Isles lost 3-2. Analysts in the press box claimed that the first cheer for the Islanders didn’t happen until the 11-minute mark of the first period when the Flames Billy Plager took a run at Isles forward Dave Hudson — and missed.  

A Different Team

The Islanders are a much different team than they were 49 years ago in 1972. This group has made it to the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the past two years. The Isles have not been this close to winning the Stanley Cup since the 1980s.  

Not only are the Islanders hungry for a cup, but they are also filled with talent. Mathew Barzal is arguably one of the best skaters in the NHL. Adam Pelech is one of the best shutdown defensemen in the league. Many Isles fans compare his skill and style to former captain and defenseman Denis Potvin (1973-1988). The Islanders’ two starting goalies, Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin, were ranked among the top 10 fantasy hockey goalies for the 2021-22 season by NHL.com. 

A New Era

The Isles had a good run at Nassau Coliseum. They played there for nearly 50 years and brought home four Stanley Cups; however, it is time for a change and UBS Arena will do just that. Playing the Calgary Flames in the home opener and winning would be huge for the Islanders. It would symbolize a new beginning and create a positive outlook for the season. The Isles’ current roster has the potential to be as successful as the Islanders Dynasty back in the early ‘80s. 

Maisy Healy

I am a huge Islanders fan and love spreading my passion for the team here at Drive4Five.  Along with writing, I also co-manage the Drive4Five TikTok and Facebook accounts.