Report: Barclays Center to end partnership with Islanders

The New York Islanders are apparently being evicted from their Brooklyn home.

Barclays Center officials have decided that it's no longer in their best interest to house the NHL franchise, Bloomberg's Scott Soshnick reported Monday, citing people familiar with the facility's finances.

It's believed they have decided that the arena can generate more money staging concerts and other events in addition to Brooklyn Nets basketball.

Barclays Center pays the Islanders an average of $53.5 million annually for control of business operations, according to Soshnick.

The Islanders are in their second season in the Brooklyn barn, and since their arrival, there have been complaints from players and fans about ice quality and obstructed views.

The club has the NHL's third-worst average attendance behind the Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes, with 81.1 percent of their seats sold, according to ESPN. In their final season at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, the Islanders had almost 95 percent attendance.

Soshnick notes that either side can cancel the current deal. If the Barclays Center chooses that route, the Islanders would need a new home after the 2018-19 season.

The Islanders have not commented on the report, according to Arthur Staple of Newsday.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said this about the Islanders' future at Barclays Center at NHL All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, according to ESPN's Craig Custance:

Well, the owners are committed to the franchise. They're committed to New York and the great fan base that has followed the Islanders. There are some issues about playing in Barclays. It may be fundamental to the system, and that's not something that can be fixed in the short terms. I think as is prudent, Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky are reviewing the situation and looking very seriously at what their options are.