Islanders Nabbing Penguins Exec for Business Ops: Report

The New York Islanders are hiring away Pittsburgh Penguins chief operating officer Travis Williams to run their business operations, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette citing multiple sources.

Williams’ role with the Penguins includes “overseeing day-to-day business and arena operations,” including serving as “point man on the development of the former Civic Arena site [and he] oversaw the construction of the much-acclaimed UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.”

That would make him a fit to lead business and arena ops for the Islanders as they transition to a Brooklyn-Nassau time-share — and continued co-habitant relations with the Barclays-whatever live corporation — over the next three seasons before moving into a new arena (and surrounding amenities), which Islanders ownership plans to build at Belmont for opening three years from now.

It goes without saying Lou Lamoriello would still run hockey ops; photos of Williams have him clean-shaven though, so they should get along just fine.

The Post-Gazette story calls it a promotion for Williams, an Indianapolis native and lawyer with lots of experience in the business of sports. You know, now he gets to work with an empire that will own its building and lot.