Christmas came early for fans of the Islanders worried their team might soon become a statistic in the NHL's game of musical cities. In the 11th hour of the biggest gamble in franchise history, thegroup includingJon Ledecky, a co-owner of the Islanders, secured its proposal to develop a hockey-fitted arena near theBelmont Park racetrack, asconfirmed Wednesday . The are coming home to Long Island! With the state-of-the-art redevelopment of Belmont Park, we are adding a world-cla s entertainment destination to Long Island. Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) It was a banner day in the franchise's historyin more ways than one. But most importantly, , ditching theuntenable Barclays Center situation a poor fit for all parties in favor of a more suitable and permanent home for a team named the Islanders . There wasn't a Plan B. If the Belmont Park concept, once dismi sed as a shot in the dark, fell through, the odds the team would be whisked off to destinations du jour like Quebec City orSeattleseemed likely, if not inevitable. MORE: Even so, this is only the beginning. They still need to build the proposed 18,000-seat arena and its surrounding developments, which won't be ready until at least 2020-21, according to the proposed timeline. ( .) In the short term,the focus now turns Oshae Brissett Jersey toward John Tavares, who you might have heard has a decision to make. Will he be there when the arena opens three years from now, when he's 30? The longtime Islanders captain and face of the franchise, whose pending unrestricted free agency threatens tosend the NHL into a frenzy this summer, has put off signing a contract extension until the franchise's future, both on and off the ice, became more clear. Let's check in on the progre s. Entering Wednesday, Tavares was tied for third in the NHL in scoring with 42 points. His 19 goals rank fourth. The succe s of linemates Anders Lee (21 goals) and Josh Bailey (42 points) is staggering, another resumepadderfor the two-time Hart Trophy finalist. MathewBarzal, looking the part of a20-year-old phenom, leads a strong, young talent base. Should the Islanders (18-13-3) keep pace in the wildly competitive Metropolitan Division, he'll be in the conversation if the not the odds-on favorite for MVP on his third try. MORE: By all accounts, things are looking up on the ice. Still, the impact of the Islanders' arena announcement can't yet be quantified.Tavares was front and center for Wednesday's announcement, rubbing elbows behind the dais with Cuomo and NHL commi sioner Gary Bettman. Asked later what the arena developmentmeans for his future as an Islander, Tavares played it off. Its not going to be a deciding factor, he said. The , with John Tavares on hand, are holding a pre s conference to announce their new arena deal at Belmont, bringing the team back to Long Island. Sporting News Canada (@sportingnewsca) So we wait. Maybe until the end of the season, mirroring Lightning captain Steven Stamkos two years ago. Tavares has maintained his loyalty to the franchise that selected him first overall nine years ago. He's excelledon one of the NHL's biggest bargain contracts since 2012, even though the team hasn't always upheld its promise to surround him with aroster capable of winning Stanley Cup(s). And while he loatheshigh-profile media markets like the ones that dot Eastern Canada, the pull of competitivene s grows ever stronger with the promise of Toronto and the prestige of Montreal. MORE: It's a compelling draw. There's no reason to doubt Tavares' commitmentto Long Island. In fact, the situation remains ever in the Islanders' favor. A shiny, new eight-year contract extension, one which could make Tavares the NHL's highest-paid player, is po sible any day nowthat the Islanders can present theirplan with certainty. But as long asTavares is keeping his cards close to his chest, there's room for imagination. "The Islanders are called the Islanders for a reason," Tavares declared. "This is really where the team belongs." Now the rest of the NHL wants to know: Where does Tavares belong? Pascal Siakam Jersey