Former New York Islanders Charles Wang has passed away on Sunday at the age of 74. He owned a majority share of the club from 2000 until he became a minority owner in 2016. Wang died in Oyster Bay, New York, said his attorney John McEntee in an emailed statement. A cause of death was not disclosed.
The Islanders are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Co-Owner, Charles B. Wang.
Statement from Islanders ownership: https://t.co/FoHL2ED948
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 21, 2018
Charles Wang Passes Away
Wang helped found Computer Associates International, now called CA Technologies, and bought the club with Sanjay Kumar. He bought out Kumar’s stake in the club in 2004. The Shanghai-born businessman sold the team to a group of investors in 2014.
He was instrumental in the NHL trying to grow the game in his native China. League commissioner Gary Bettman credited Wang for his help with such programs as Project Hope.
“As the NHL embarks on a journey to grow hockey in China, we do so with the appreciation and knowledge that it was Charles who was the vision and driving force at the forefront of developing the game in his native country,” Bettman said.
Wang was helpful in keeping the team in the Long Island area. Team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said Long Island wouldn’t have a team if Wang wasn’t owner.
Wang’s Legacy
The Islanders did lose money for a while and Wang said he wouldn’t have bought the club in a 2009 interview with Newsday. However, he did so much for the Long Island community.
He gave plenty of money to charity, including a $52 million donation for a cultural centre at Stony Brook University. His philanthropic legacy also filtered into his hockey team.
Wang loved the Islanders and Long Island and that will be his lasting legacy.
UNIONDALE, NY – MAY 26: New York Islanders Owner Charles Wang speaks to the media during a press conference to announce Doug Weight’s retirement on May 26, 2011 at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
