Arena. Opening The Islanders were to begin playing home games at UBS Arena for the 2021–22 season. To allow additional time for construction to complete, the Islanders' preseason home games were played at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, home of their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. The team then played 13 consecutive road games to start the regular season. UBS Arena formally opened on November 19, 2021, with a private fundraising event featuring rock band Chicago. On November 20, the Islanders played their first game at UBS Arena, a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames. The Flames' Brad Richardson scored the arena's first goal while Brock Nelson scored the first Islanders goal. The Islanders started 0–5–2 at UBS Arena. Their first home win at the venue came on December 11, 2021, in a 4–2 win against the New Jersey Devils. Social and economic footprint of construction As the $1.5 billion project and surrounding redevelopment moved forward, it was announced that they would generate approximately $25 billion in economic activity, including major infrastructure improvements, 10,000 construction jobs, and 3,000 permanent jobs. This was seen as a boost to the regional economy at a time when activity had slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project partners set a goal of having 30 percent of contracting dollars for construction earmarked for state-certified minority and female-owned businesses, and a further 6 percent for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. The project led to an additional $100 million investment in transit and infrastructure enhancements, including Elmont station, the first newly constructed Long Island Rail Road station in almost 50 years. Notable events College basketball The first college basketball game at UBS Arena was played on December 3, 2021, between the nearby St. John's Red Storm and the Kansas Jayhawks as part of the annual Big East–Big 12 Battle. The Jayhawks won the game 95–75. The Iona Gaels also hosted the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens on December 21, 2021. Professional wrestling The November 29, 2021 episode of WWE's Monday Night Raw took place at the arena. The December 8, 2021 episode of All Elite Wrestling's Dynamite took place at UBS Arena, as well as the taping for that week's episode of AEW Rampage, which aired on December 10. Mixed martial arts On July 16, 2022, the arena held its first MMA and UFC event, hosting UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez. Concerts British singer