Long Island Arena (also commonly known as the Commack Arena and the Suffolk Forum) was a 4,000-seat indoor arena in

Commack, New York Commack ( ) is a hamlet and census designated place (CDP) that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the towns of Huntington and Smithtown in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York. The CDP's population was 36,124 at the ...

from 1959 until 1996. The Long Island Ducks of the

Eastern Hockey League The Eastern Hockey League was a minor professional United States ice hockey league. Eastern Amateur Hockey League (1933–1953) The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL). The league was founded by Tommy Lockhart ...

, a popular team in the small community, called the Arena home from 1959 until the league folded in 1973, one year after the New York Islanders came into existence. The

Long Island Cougars The Long Island Cougars were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played at the Long Island Arena in Commack, New York, from 1973 to 1975. The Cougars were a member of the North American Hockey League, and were runners up for the ...

(an affiliate of the WHA's

Chicago Cougars The Chicago Cougars were a franchise in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1975. The Cougars played their home games in the International Amphitheatre. During the 1974 Avco Cup Finals against Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros, the team's ...

) also played at the Long Island Arena from 1973 through 1975. From 1968 to 1969, the Commack Arena briefly served as the home of the

New York Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

of the American Basketball Association. Before the team's move to Long Island, the then-New Jersey Americans had scheduled a game against the Kentucky Colonels at the Commack Arena on March 23, 1968. The Americans and Colonels were tied in the standings, and a "play-in" game to determine who would qualify for the playoffs. The Americans were forced to move the game at the last minute because their normal home, the Teaneck Armory, was booked with the circus. However, when the Colonels and Americans arrived at the arena, they found the court full of holes and laden with condensation from a Ducks hockey game the previous night. The court was also unstable. The Colonels refused to take the court under these conditions. The league ruled that the Americans had failed to provide acceptable facilities and forfeited the game to the Colonels, 2–0. The Long Island Ducks of the Eastern Basketball Association also spent one season playing at Long Island Arena during 1977–1978. Along with hockey and basketball, the Long Island Arena was used for ice skating, the circus, the Suffolk County Fair and concerts. Peter Frampton recorded part of his 8× platinum double album, '' Frampton Comes Alive'', at the arena.

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

made a visit to the arena on November 6, 1960, while campaigning for the presidency. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Long Island Arena housed a large, indoor flea market until the facility closed on July 31, 1996. A shopping center, consisting of

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...

Hobby Lobby Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., formerly Hobby Lobby Creative Centers, is an American retail company. It owns a chain of arts and crafts stores with a volume of over $5 billion in 2018. The chain has 969 stores in 47 US states. Hobby Lobby is owned by ...

, and a

Whole Foods Whole Foods Market IP, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon, is an upscale American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A US ...

supermarket, among other stores and restaurants, now stands on the former site of the arena, which was located on the south side of Veterans Highway just west of the

Sunken Meadow State Parkway The Sunken Meadow State Parkway (also known as the Sunken Meadow Parkway or the Sunken Meadow) is a long parkway in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Located entirely within the town of Smithtown, the parkway begins at a cloverleaf interc ...

References

External links