Kathy Hochul breaks tradition and unloads on Gary Bettman for forgetting his partnership with the state.
New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul is angry with the National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman and the league’s decision to cancel the 2026 All-Star Game at the New York Islanders franchise’s Elmont, New York arena. The NHL wants to have an Olympic send off next winter prior to the opening of the 2026 Cortina Olympics. Hochul did something no other politician has ever done. Pointing out that governments who supply money or tax breaks or tax incentives to sports owners and by extension leagues are partners in the business. That is an amazing departure and she made it very clear in her letter to Bettman that New York State is a league and Islanders business partner. The NHL plans something big but what that means is unclear.
Hochul, in the letter, wrote that she wants Bettman and the league to “bring a hockey event with equal or greater economic activity and cultural value to the region in 2027.” And she didn’t hold back. “This decision was made without consultation with the State of New York, which has been a critical partner in supporting this facility and the NHL’s presence on Long Island as well as the entire State. Through a public-private partnership with New York Arena Partners, New York State invested more than $100 million to build the first new LIRR station in nearly 50 years, supporting UBS Arena as a world-class venue. We made this investment not only for the local community and the New York Islanders but also in support of the league itself. We acted in good faith based on commitments that were publicly celebrated and on the belief that this was a true public-private partnership.” New York has two other franchises. There is an arena issue in Buffalo and there may be a need for a new arena in Manhattan and both may require state money.
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