Islanders fans rejoicing for the team’s return to Long Island may need to temper their excitement: it will be a while before the team plays at Belmont Park.

A special report by News 12 and Newsday shows that it will be at least a few years before the new $1 billion arena is ready.

MORE: Read more on this story at Newsday.com

"We looked into the approval process, we looked into the construction process, and best-case scenario will be 38 months, which brings us to the 2021-2022 NHL season," Newsday's Jim Baumbach explains.

The Islanders have said they plan to play at the Barclays Center next year. But after that, the team could end up coming back here to its original home -- the Nassau Coliseum -- at least on a part-time basis.

"There's negotiations taking place between Barclays Center and the Islanders right now to play some games at the Barclays Center and some games at the Coliseum," Baumbach says.

At this point, the Islanders have not announced an opening date for the new arena, only saying they hope to have it ready as soon as possible.

And while many fans say they wish the team could permanently return to Uniondale, they're glad the Isles will soon be back in Nassau County -- even if it might take longer than they thought.