As far as New York hockey goes, Nassau Coliseum, the previous home of the New York Islanders, was always associated as being a family-friendly arena whereas Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers, is seen as a corporate arena. When UBS Arena was being built, it was advertised as being built for fans. However, since UBS Arena’s opening on Nov. 20, many Islanders fans have felt that the new arena caters more towards the rich and closely resembles Madison Square Garden in that aspect.

Premium Hospitality at UBS Arena

At Nassau Coliseum, the suites were located above the upper bowl so they were not visible to fans if they were looking down at the ice. However, UBS Arena is littered with suites and clubs. The building has five different clubs, two types of suites, an exclusive VIP lounge, and multiple premier access points. The UBS Club Reserves are opera-style boxes that are located above the lower bowl and below the 200s level. Each box also has a suite attendant for in-seat service.  

We recently did a questionnaire on our Instagram, @Drive4Five, and found that some fans are not fond of the suites being located in the middle of UBS Arena.

“Feels terrible, the boxes destroy the atmosphere by separating the two bowls,” Islanders fan Barrett Pickett said.

“It feels [like] an odd hybrid of [the Coliseum and UBS Arena] because the passion is there, but the arena says ‘for suites,'” Max Sacco, another fan, added.

Issues With Warmups

While UBS Arena offers premium hospitality to its wealthier members, the majority of Islanders fans feel the arena is too corporate and does not have the same homey feeling that Nassau Coliseum did. At the Coliseum, fans would always line up along the glass to watch warmups prior to games. They would bring signs to support the team and players would throw pucks or sticks over the glass.

However, warmups look very different at UBS Arena. One of the most common complaints from Islanders fans this year is that warmups are handled differently every game. Sometimes, fans are able to get close to the glass and watch like they did at Nassau Coliseum. However other times, they have been told that they can’t be close to the glass because the first few rows of seats are designated for people in suites. The lack of continuity has caused frustration among many fans, as watching warmups while on the glass has been a tradition for years. 

Empty Seats

The DIME Club is one of UBS Arena’s five clubs. Sections 113 through 116 are blocked off from the rest of the lower bowl and are reserved for DIME Club members only. The first few rows of seats along the glass are also premium seats that remain reserved for suite and Spotlight Club members.

One of the main issues with this is that the suite and club sections are not selling out, causing the arena to look extremely empty. It is not a good look for a new arena to have hundreds of empty seats in its lower bowl, especially when that can be seen on television. 

Brian Karaman spoke on this when responding to our Instagram story about UBS Arena feeling too corporate. “Hopefully it becomes less only for the rich people,” he said. “Can’t leave all those good empty seats forever.” 

Is UBS Arena Turning into Madison Square Garden? 

While some fans remain optimistic that UBS Arena will soon have the same home-like feel as the Coliseum, many think that the arena is too corporate and always will be due to the number of suites and clubs.  

Olivia Curry summed it up best, “We’ve been calling [UBS Arena] MSG Jr.” she said. “Has absolutely no feel that the Coliseum did.”

Hopefully, UBS Arena can take action to make all Islanders fans feel more welcomed, and at home like they did at Nassau Coliseum. 

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.