NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says UBS Arena will host a 'kickoff' event for the Olympics rather than 2026 All-Star Weekend

The NHL still is planning to hold a league event at UBS Arena in February 2026, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said on Tuesday it will be a “kickoff going to the Olympics” rather than the previously announced All-Star Weekend.

“We’ll have an event at UBS before we go to the Olympics but then we’ll do something that’s more focused on a major hockey event for the following year,” said Bettman, speaking to the Associated Press Sports Editors at the NHL office in Manhattan. “We have a little bit of time to finalize what we’re doing.”

It's unclear what the format for Bettman's Olympic kickoff next February would be, but he indicated it wouldn't be a hockey competition. Bettman did not specifically say whether the 2027 All-Star event would be at UBS Arena.

"We look forward to working with the league on any event that will showcase our world class facility, UBS Arena," the Islanders said in a statement.

The NHL first announced on Feb. 18, 2024, that UBS Arena, which opened in 2021, would host the 2026 All-Star Weekend. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be conducted later in February.

“We are honored to be invited to host the National Hockey League, the game’s finest players and fans from around the world to join us in New York for the 2026 NHL All-Star Weekend,” Islanders owner Scott Malkin said in a statement when the All-Star Weekend was first announced for UBS Arena. “The 2026 All-Star weekend will show NHL fans the outstanding destination we have for hockey, shopping and entertainment.”

Malkin also has spearheaded the construction of Belmont Park Village, a shopping hub adjacent to UBS Arena.

Bettman touted the overall development project in the area — including the reconstruction of the Belmont Park racetrack and grandstand — when asked about the Islanders' falling attendance this past season.

The Islanders averaged 15,979 fans per game at the 17,255-seat arena, their lowest total in four seasons at the $1.1 billion venue.

“I think the area is developing great,” Bettman said. “What Scott Malkin is doing with his other business there is going to be terrific. There’s still a lot of development going on, the rebuild of the racetrack. This is a long-term project and we’re still in its embryonic stage. The building is magnificent.

“I think people need to get used to the logistics of getting in and out. Once all the construction is done, I have no doubt it will be much more accessible. But I also think team performance affects attendance as much as, if not more than, anything else.”

The Islanders finished 35-35-12 and missed the playoffs for the second time in four seasons. Last week, they announced president/general manager Lou Lamoriello would not have his contract renewed after seven seasons.

Still, the organization is anticipating next season’s league event at UBS Arena — in whatever form it takes — will be a good showcase for the Islanders and the building.

Bettman explained that the NHL will work in two-year cycles for international events following the success of the inaugural 4 Nations Face-off last February. Bettman said NHL players would participate in the Olympics in 2026, a World Cup tournament in 2028 and then the Olympics again in 2030.

“What we do in the intervening years, we’re still thinking about,” Bettman said. “But we know we set the bar high, which should be a good thing.

“We’re in the process of finalizing the schedule and we are comfortable and confident that we will have an event that people will like as a kickoff to going to the Olympics. And then we’ll come back and do a more hockey-focused competition event the following year.”