So far, it has not translated into better attendance at UBS Arena as the team has averaged 15,530 through 18 home dates at the 17,255-capacity building. That\u2019s down from last season\u2019s 15,979, which was the lowest since UBS Arena opened in 2021. But there have been six sellouts, including five of the last 10 home games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a real chance to sell out most of the games, if not all of them, all the way to the Olympic break [in February],\u201d Cheeseman said. \u201cSo that\u2019s a really positive trend.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Cheeseman also noted the Islanders are prone to poorer attendance figures during busy periods such as the holidays.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kelly Cheeseman at Sportico Invest West held at the Intuit Dome on May 08, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by JC Olivera\/Sportico via Getty Images) Credit: Sportico via Getty Images\/JC Olivera<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not strong enough on a consistent basis to be able to sustain tough windows of time that are consistent for anybody: Early December, between Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and Christmas,\u201d Cheeseman said. \u201cEverybody in the world is busy.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the fan experience inside UBS Arena has changed this season with more statistics and replays being shown and current players featured in humorous, down-to-earth videos on the scoreboard as produced by the Islanders\u2019 social media team. All of those were no-nos under Lamoriello.<\/p>\n
The boos, a constant last season, have been noticeably silent. Again, winning and Schaefer\u2019s play have gone a long way toward that.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, we notice,\u201d captain Anders Lee told Newsday. \u201cIt\u2019s been a lot. The energy has been better. The support has been better. The cheers have been better. It makes a difference, it really does. We\u2019ve been performing well and that brought some people back. But, at the same time, we\u2019ve been playing well because we\u2019ve got them [the fans] as well. It\u2019s fun to see that building start to go like it should.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cheeseman also reported positive trends in fan engagement. He said app downloads were up 136% and social media engagement was up more than 100%. He added that television viewership was up 37% as reported by Nielsen.<\/p>\n
Nielsen also reported Islanders\u2019 television viewership in the prime 25-54 demographic was up 58%.<\/p>\n
The Islanders reported sales of team jerseys were up 63%.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been gifted a special player here that our core players like Mathew Barzal are really reacting well to,\u201d Cheeseman said of Schaefer.<\/p>\n