Long Island Arena opened in 1959 in Commack, New York, after a construction process that stretched back to 1956. Built under the direction of longtime New York Rangers business manager Thomas P. Lockhart, the venue became the main indoor sports and entertainment hall for Suffolk County residents for nearly four decades, hosting everything from minor-league hockey to touring circuses.
The arena is best remembered as the home ice of the Long Island Ducks, an Eastern Hockey League team that skated there from 1959 to 1973, and as a brief stop for the American Basketball Association’s New York Nets in 1968-69. It also drew a presidential visit, a famous live rock recording, and a notoriously rough ABA playoff game before closing in 1996 and being razed for a shopping center.
- Brooklyn Nets played here 1968–1969. See every Nets arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Commack, New York
- Teams: Long Island Ducks (EHL/EBA), New York Nets (ABA), Long Island Cougars (NAHL), New York Tapers (ABL)
- Opened: 1959
- Closed: July 31, 1996
- Capacity: About 6,500 for basketball, about 4,000 for hockey
- Notable fact: President John F. Kennedy visited the arena on November 6, 1960, during his campaign
A Hockey Rink at the Center of Suffolk County Life
For most of its run, Long Island Arena was synonymous with the Long Island Ducks, the Eastern Hockey League club that called it home from 1959 to 1973. Also known over the years as the Commack Arena and the Suffolk Forum, the building doubled as a community gathering place, hosting the Suffolk County Fair, circuses, public ice skating, and later an indoor flea market as Long Island’s sports landscape shifted toward newer venues.
The arena briefly carried major pro basketball as well, serving as home to the ABA’s New York Nets for the 1968-69 season before the team moved on to larger facilities. A 1968 ABA playoff game at the arena became infamous when the visiting Kentucky Colonels balked at taking the court over poor playing conditions, a moment that stuck in league lore.
From Rock and Roll to Demolition
Musician Peter Frampton recorded portions of his landmark live album Frampton Comes Alive! at the arena, adding a footnote in rock history to a building otherwise known for hockey and basketball. The venue also drew a visit from presidential candidate John F. Kennedy in November 1960.
By the 1990s the aging arena had outlived its usefulness as Long Island’s sports scene moved to newer facilities like the Nassau Coliseum. It closed on July 31, 1996, and was demolished soon after, with a shopping center anchored by national retailers eventually rising on the Commack site along Veterans Highway.
Explore more: Explore more historic stadiums.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
For late-season football, outdoor hockey and October park nights. Shake, pocket, and stay warm for hours.
Long Island Arena FAQs
What was Long Island Arena used for?
It was a multipurpose indoor arena in Commack, New York, hosting minor-league ice hockey, ABA basketball, concerts, the Suffolk County Fair, circuses, and public skating from 1959 to 1996.
Which teams played at Long Island Arena?
The Long Island Ducks (Eastern Hockey League, 1959-1973, later an EBA basketball team), the ABA’s New York Nets (1968-69), the NAHL’s Long Island Cougars (1973-75), and the ABL’s New York Tapers (1962) all played there.
When did Long Island Arena close?
The arena closed on July 31, 1996, and was later demolished to make way for a shopping center.
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