I'm in Islanders fan. I have been a fan since 2000. My first hockey game was the Islanders Vs the Devils on September of 1999 at the Nassau Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale NY. It took me awhile to be a hockey fan, but when I did, I picked the Islanders as my team. At the time, they sucked! Like really suck! I was in love with the fact that they won four Stanley Cup in a row back in the 80's. They were and still are one of the best hockey franchises in the state of New York.
The coliseum was a dump. The seating was not bad at all. From all the stadiums I have been to, the coliseum had the best views whenever it came to seating. The problem was there were leaks, limited restrooms and it was old. In 2012, the Islanders announced they would be playing a game at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the new home of the Nets, whom recently relocated from New Jersey.
As an Islanders fan, I was happy. Seeing my favorite team in the city, and yet alone see the first ever NHL game in Brooklyn was a must. Due to the lock out, the game was moved the following year. Without noticing much, the Islanders then announced they would be moving to the Barclays Center starting the 2015 season. Ok, cool! The first game was going to be played September of 2013 at the Barclays vs the Devils for a preseason and replacing the previous 2012 game. I was thinking to myself! Hell yea.
Then, the time came. The experience was horrible when it came to seeing hockey! The Barclays is up to date and modern, but seating when it came to hockey was not right! The arena was made for basketball to remind you guys. 1. The titiantron was on top of one of the blue lines. 2. The arena was steep, like super steep, I am not good when it comes to heights, then where I was sitting, only 2/3 of the ice was visible. There was a goalie that we couldn't see. The ice goes deep in to the seats, thus creating a load of seats that are limited view.
This is a beautiful arena, but damn! If you're a hockey fan, I would advise you to not ever come here to watch a game. The only reason to do so is if you want to experience the sad feel of hockey in a basketball made arena. there are seats in the lower level that are cheap, but as you figured, they are limited view as well.