The Stable | |
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_017_-_UBS_Arena.jpg) UBS Arena in 2021 | |
  UBS Arena Location near New York City Show map of New York City UBS Arena Location within the State of New York Show map of New York UBS Arena Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Former names | Belmont Park Arena (planning/construction)[1] |
|---|---|
| Address | 2400 Hempstead Turnpike |
| Location | Elmont, New York, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°42′42″N73°43′34″W / 40.71179°N 73.72604°W /40.71179; -73.72604 |
| Public transit |   Elmont–UBS Arena[2] New York City Bus:Q2,Q82[2][3]Nassau Inter-County Express:n1,n6[4] |
| Owner | New York Arena Partners (a joint venture of the New York Islanders,Oak View Group, andSterling Equities) |
| Operator | New York Islanders |
| Type | Arena |
| Capacity | Ice hockey: 17,255 Concerts: 19,000 |
| Surface | Concrete |
| Scoreboard | Daktronics Inc. |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 23, 2019[5] |
| Built | 2019–2021 |
| Opened | November 20, 2021[8] |
| Construction cost | US$1 billion (including development) |
| Architect | Populous[6] JRDV Urban International[7] Stantec[7] |
| Project manager | Populous |
| Structural engineer | Populous |
| Services engineer | Populous |
| General contractor | Hunt / Barton Malow JV |
| Tenants | |
| New York Islanders (NHL) (2021–present) St. John's Universitymen's andwomen's basketball (part-time) (2021–present) New York Sirens (PWHL) (2024) New York Mavericks (PBR) (2025–present) | |
| Website | |
| ubsarena | |
UBS Arena is a multi-purpose indoorarena located inElmont, New York, just outsideNew York City limits. Opened in 2021, it is the home of theNew York Islanders of theNational Hockey League (NHL), replacingNassau Coliseum andBarclays Center. The arena officially seats 17,250 patrons for NHL games and up to 19,000 for concerts and other select events. Fans and sports writers have affectionately nicknamed the arena "The Stable", due to the arena being located atBelmont Park, a famousthoroughbred racing venue.
By the mid-2000s, Nassau Coliseum was the fourth-oldest facility in the NHL, behind the twice-renovatedMadison Square Garden inManhattan (which remains in use today), thePittsburgh Civic Arena (built in 1961 andreplaced in 2010), andNorthlands Coliseum inEdmonton (built in 1974,replaced in 2016). It was also the smallest arena in the league, until theAtlanta Thrashers moved to the smallerCanada Life Centre inWinnipeg and became the newWinnipeg Jets. Various attempts had been made to pursue a renovation or replacement of the aging facility, including theLighthouse Project—a 2004 proposal to renovate the Coliseum and build a larger sport, entertainment, and residential district around it (including a minor-league ballpark and a 60-storyhigh-rise from which the proposal derived its name).[9] WhileNassau County approved a version of the Lighthouse Project, the town ofHempstead never granted a change in zoning that was required for its construction, and the project was reported to have been cancelled.[10][11]
In May 2010,Jeff Wilpon, then COO ofMajor League Baseball'sNew York Mets, had discussions with then-Islanders ownerCharles Wang about constructing a new arena for the Islanders in theWillets Point neighborhood ofQueens, adjacent to the Mets' ballpark,Citi Field. Wilpon also discussed the possibility of buying the Islanders.[12]
In June 2010,FanHouse reported that Wilpon and his father, then-Mets ownerFred Wilpon, had begun working with real estate firmJones Lang LaSalle (who also worked on the renovation ofMadison Square Garden) on a feasibility study of a new Islanders arena in Queens.[13] However, a source fromNewsday indicated that theFanHouse report was not true.[14] There were also reports that businessmanNelson Peltz wanted to buy the Islanders and move them toBarclays Center in Brooklyn.[15]
On July 12, 2010, HempsteadsupervisorKate Murray announced an "alternate zone" created for the Coliseum property, downsizing the original Lighthouse Project to half its proposed size and making the project, according to then-Nassau County ExecutiveEd Mangano and the developers, "economically unviable for both the developer and owner of the site". From that point, the Lighthouse Project would no longer be pursued by Wang, Mangano and the developers.[16]
In August 2011, Nassau County voters voted against a referendum that would have granted a $400 millionpublic bond to construct a $350 million arena and $50 million minor league ballpark. The plan was presented by Wang as a last-ditch effort to keep the Islanders in Nassau County.[17] In October 2012, the Islanders announced that they would re-locate toBarclays Center inBrooklyn once their lease of the Coliseum expired after the2014–15 season.[18] Meanwhile, a group led byBruce Ratner (who had developed Barclays Center) secured an $89 million bid to renovate the Coliseum, aiming to host a minor hockey team as its main tenant, and have six Islanders games played there per season.[19][20][21]
As Barclays Center was designed primarily as a basketball arena, its hockey configuration was criticized by fans for having seats with obstructed views, while its ice quality was criticized as substandard by players.[22][23]
In December 2017, New York Arena Partners—a joint venture between the Islanders,Oak View Group, andSterling Equities, won a bid to construct a new, 18,000-seat arena and mixed-use district at Belmont Park, beating a competing proposal byNew York City FC for a new soccer stadium. The new arena was projected to be completed in time for the2021–22 NHL season.[24][25] In the meantime, the Islanders began to gradually play more home games at the Coliseum in the2018–19 season.[26]
On September 23, 2019, the groundbreaking for the arena was held. It was attended by New York state governorAndrew Cuomo, NHL commissionerGary Bettman, and officials, alumni, and current players from the Islanders.[27] In February 2020, it was announced that beginning with the2020 playoffs, the Islanders would temporarily return to the Coliseum for all home games before moving to the Belmont Park arena for the 2021–22 season.[28]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in New York, all non-essential construction projects in the state of New York were ordered to suspend operations beginning March 27, 2020.[29] Construction was allowed to resume on May 27, 2020; team officials expected construction to finish in time for the Islanders to begin to play in October 2021, despite the two-month pause.[30]
In July 2020,UBS was announced as the naming rights sponsor of the new arena under a 20-year deal, naming the facility UBS Arena.[31]
The Islanders were to begin playing home games at UBS Arena for the2021–22 season. To allow additional time for construction to complete, the Islanders' preseason home games were played atWebster Bank Arena inBridgeport, Connecticut, home of theirAmerican Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, theBridgeport Islanders. The team then played 13 consecutive road games to start the regular season. UBS Arena formally opened on November 19, 2021, with a private fundraising event featuring rock bandChicago.[32]
As the $1.5 billion project and surrounding redevelopment moved forward, it was announced that they would generate approximately $25 billion in economic activity, including major infrastructure improvements, 10,000 construction jobs, and 3,000 permanent jobs.[33] This was seen as a boost to the regional economy at a time whenactivity had slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[34] The project partners set a goal of having 30 percent of contracting dollars for constructionearmarked for state-certified minority and female-owned businesses, and a further 6 percent forservice-disabled veteran-owned businesses.[33] The project led to an additional $100 million investment in transit and infrastructure enhancements, includingElmont station, the first newly constructedLong Island Rail Road station in almost 50 years.[35]
On November 20, 2021, the Islanders played their first game at UBS Arena, a 5–2 loss to theCalgary Flames. The Flames'Brad Richardson scored the arena's first goal, whileBrock Nelson scored the first Islanders goal.[36][37] The Islanders started 0–5–2 at UBS Arena. Their first home win at the venue came on December 11, in a 4–2 win against theNew Jersey Devils.[38]
The firstStanley Cup playoffs game at UBS Arena took place on April 21, 2023, when the Islanders defeated theCarolina Hurricanes by a score of 5–1.Casey Cizikas of the Islanders scored the first playoff goal in the arena.[39]
UBS Arena was scheduled to host the2026 NHL All-Star Game, having been awarded it during the2024 NHL Stadium Series on February 18, 2024.[40] However, the event was cancelled and instead replaced with a send-off event to the2026 Winter Olympics at the arena instead that itself was cancelled in October 2025. The2027 NHL All-Star Game will take place at UBS Arena.
TheProfessional Women's Hockey League's (PWHL)New York Sirens held six of its home games in the league's inaugural season at UBS Arena starting on January 10, 2024.[41][42] For the 2024–25 season, the Sirens moved all of their home games to Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
On March 1, 2025,Ilya Sorokin was credited with the first goalie goal in UBS Arena history at 19:48 of the third period when an errant pass fromSteven Stamkos ended up in his own net, the final goal of a 7–4 Islander win over theNashville Predators.[43] It was the 20th goalie goal in NHL history and the second goalie goal in Islanders franchise history.
On March 23, 2025, UBS Arena hosted an international match between the Jerusalem Capitals and HC Tel Aviv of the Israel Elite Hockey League. Jerusalem won 7-6 in overtime. This was the first time professional hockey teams from Israel competed in North America.[44]
On April 6, 2025, at 1:47 PM EDT,Alexander Ovechkin of theWashington Capitals scored his NHL record-breaking 895th career goal at 7:26 of the second period against the Islanders. However, the Islanders won the game, 4–1.
The firstcollege basketball game at UBS Arena was played on December 3, 2021, between the nearbySt. John's Red Storm and theKansas Jayhawks as part of the annualBig East–Big 12 Battle. The Jayhawks won the game 95–75.[45] TheIona Gaels also hosted theDelaware Fightin' Blue Hens on December 21, 2021.[46]
TheNew York Liberty of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) moved its2024 Commissioner's Cup championship game against theMinnesota Lynx to UBS Arena on June 25, as the Liberty's home arena of Barclays Center was set to host the2024 NBA draft the following night.[47]
The November 29, 2021 episode ofWWE'sMonday Night Raw took place at the arena. The December 8, 2021 episode ofAll Elite Wrestling'sDynamite took place at UBS Arena,[48] as well as the taping for that week's episode ofAEW Rampage, which aired on December 10.[49] On June 30th 2024,All Elite Wrestling andNew Japan Pro Wrestling co-hostedsupershowForbidden Door which aired live on PPV.[50][51] On July 20, 2025,TNA Wrestling hostedSlammiversary from the arena.
On July 16, 2022, the arena held its firstMMA andUFC event, hostingUFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez.[52]
British singerHarry Styles held the arena's first public concert on November 28, 2021.[53] He also performed the entirety of his latest albumHarry's House for the first time live on May 20, 2022.[54]
In 2025, UBS Arena will be the new home venue of the New York Mavericks; one of ten bull riding teams of theProfessional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series held in the summer and autumn. Each team has their own hometown event. There are also two "neutral site" events during the season, which culminates atT-Mobile Arena inLas Vegas, Nevada, in October to determine the PBR Team Series Champion.[55]
During their first year in 2024, the New York Mavericks hadBarclays Center inBrooklyn as their home venue.[56]
Both the2024 and2025 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the UBS Arena.
| Preceded by | Home of the New York Islanders 2021–present | Succeeded by current |
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