NEW YORK - Now hockey is coming to Brooklyn.
The NHL's New York Islanders have agreed to move to the Barclays Center starting with the 2015-16 season.
"Hello Brooklyn!" Islanders owner Charles Wang said as he made the announcement at a news conference Wednesday. The lease agreement is for 25 years.
Officials in nearby Nassau County, N.Y., have struggled for years to come up with a plan to either renovate or build a new arena to replace the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which opened in 1972. Wang, the founder of a computer software company, presented a plan in 2003 for a privately funded multibillion-dollar development of housing, retail and a new arena on the property, but the proposal foundered amid community opposition.
Wang had long threatened to move the team from its home in Uniondale after the club's lease expired following the 2014-15 season. He complained that the dilapidated building is unsuited for a professional sports franchise.
The Barclays deal took seven months to complete and was finished Tuesday night, according to Wang, who said he had wanted to keep the team local.
