The next time the NHL hosts an All-Star Game, it will be on Long Island.
The All-Star Game will be held at UBS Arena in 2026 after the Four Nations Tournament was suspended in 2025, the league announced during the first intermission of the Islanders-Rangers game in the NHL Stadium Series.
The All-Star Game on Long Island will be the first since it was held at Nassau Coliseum in 1983, when Wayne Gretzky scored four goals in the third period to win MVP, and UBS Arena will open in 2021. This will be the first league match to be held since then.
By then, Islanders hope to have a hotel open near the arena, as well as shops and restaurants nearby, both of which are still under construction.
“We are honored to be invited to host the National Hockey League and to allow the best players and fans from around the world to participate in the 2026 NHL All-Star Weekend in New York,” Islanders owner Scott Malkin said in a statement. Stated. “Whether guests watch talented players on the ice at the UBS Arena, a building built exclusively for ice hockey, shop at Belmont Park Village, or enjoy pre- and post-game festivities at the park, 2026 All-Star Weekend will feature NHL action and we are grateful to our fans for making us a great destination for hockey, shopping and entertainment.”
The 2026 All-Star Game will serve as a send-off before the league sends players to the Milan-Cortina Olympics, marking the first time since 2014 that the Olympic Games will be played best-on-best.
There was some question as to whether the league would hold an All-Star Game, but it will be interesting to see if any star players choose to play an All-Star Game safely ahead of the Olympic tournament.
Either way, the weekend is one the Islanders have been looking forward to since UBS Arena opened, and it’s an opportunity the organization is looking forward to.
“The National Hockey League is excited to bring the great game to the great UBS Arena during the 2026 NHL All-Star Weekend,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
“We have been looking forward to hosting major league events at UBS Arena since before construction began on this amazing arena. We have every confidence that we will put on a celebration that will make the NHL proud.”
