ISLANDERS LAUNCH COMMUNITY PLATFORM IN BROOKLYN

Borough President’s Community Pass to Provide Affordable Tickets to Thousands of Brooklynites

The Islanders are launching arobust community platform this week to give thousands of Brooklyn youngsters the opportunity to attend games at the team’s new home at Barclays Center, as well as to offer a free program to learn to play the game of hockey.

Led by a partnership with Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, the Islanders are implementing the Borough President’s Community Pass program, through which the Borough President’s office will distribute vouchers for $10 tickets to each game to community groups in Brooklyn to offer kids the chance to attend Islanders games.

In addition, the team is introducingCityParks Street Hockey presented by the New York Islanders, a free six-week instructional program with City Parks Foundation which teaches basic hockey knowledge and skills to children ages 8-12. The program will be held at three Brooklyn parks: Sunset Park in Greenwood Heights, St. John’s Park in Crown Heights, and John J. Carty Park in Bay Ridge. On a weekly basis, each location will host two, one hour classes accommodating up to 20 participants per session. The first session will take place today, Tuesday, October 6, at Sunset Park. The program will culminate with an appearance from a current Islanders player, who will help teach kids the fundamentals of the sport. For more information and instructions on how to sign up, visit http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/sports/street-hockey/.

"The Islanders are Brooklyn's newest home team, and everyone should get a chance to see them and appreciate the game of hockey in person! The first time I went to an NHL game, watching the action on the rink and feeling the energy in the crowd, I was hooked on the experience,” said Brooklyn Borough President, Eric L. Adams. “Hockey can open doors for our youngest Brooklynites, adding another dimension to the sports scene that is an important part of life in our borough. I am proud that the Borough President's Community Pass, a program that represents true corporate citizenship, will open the doors of Barclays Center to residents that may otherwise not get the chance to see the Isles."

"We're thrilled to be partnering with the New York Islanders and Barclays Center to bring the game of street hockey to kids throughoutBrooklyn," said Heather Lubov, Executive Director of City ParksFoundation. "Creating new opportunities for kids to learn theskills of the game and have fun in their neighborhood parks is a greatway to welcome the team to the borough."

“Growing the sport of hockey is something that as an NHL player we all take pride in doing,” said Islanders assistant captain, Kyle Okposo.  “I still remember those great moments as a kid getting the chance to go skating with my friends on the ponds in Minnesota.  I’m happy to hear of these new programs in Brooklyn and look forward to all the young kids learning the game and becoming part of our passionate fan base.”

“I’d like to thank Borough President Eric Adams and the CityParks Foundation for joining with us to help young Brooklynites engage with the sport of hockey in local parks and also experience Islanders games at Barclays Center,” said Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. “As we welcome the Islanders to Brooklyn, we remain committed to making a positive impact on our community by emphasizing diversity and education.”

In addition to the new programs, the Islanders will continue their strong slate of community initiatives from past seasons. October marks the annual Hockey Fights Cancer month, an initiative founded in 1998 by the NHL and NHLPA to raise money and awareness for hockey’s most important fight. The Islanders will be supporting this initiative on October 15, 23, and 26 with in-game promotions, fundraising, ceremonial puck drops and more. 

This season, the team will also continue its Islanders @ School initiative by implementing the Future Goals and Islanders School Assembly programs throughout Brooklyn and Long Island.  The New York Islanders Future Goals program helps students build science, technology, engineering and math skills using the game of hockey as a learning vehicle. The Islanders School Assembly program teaches elementary school students the importance of working together as a team and leading a healthy lifestyle.

The Islanders community platform is proudly presented by Baked In Brooklyn