Sports in the New York metropolitan area York City, at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan. Ice hockey has a storied history and large following in the New York metropolitan area, which is unique in being the only metropolitan area and media market in the United States and Canada to feature three major league professional teams participating in the same sport. New York City is currently the full-time home to the New York Rangers, playing in Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, and part-time home to the New York Islanders, which currently split their home schedule between Barclays Center in Brooklyn and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the Nassau
New York Rangers first round opponents in 1975. After splitting the first two games, the Islanders defeated the more-established Rangers 11 seconds into overtime of the deciding Game 3, establishing a rivalry that continued to grow for years. In a blockbuster trade with Boston, New York acquired Esposito and Carol Vadnais from the Bruins for Park, Ratelle and Joe Zanussi in 1975, while Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson jumped to the Rangers from the League's rival, the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1978. In the 1979 NHL playoffs, New York then defeated the surging Islanders in the conference semi-finals and returned