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Bye-bye, Bridgeport. Hello, Hamilton.
The Islanders are shaking up their player pipeline, announcing plans to relocate their longtime American Hockey League affiliate out of Connecticut after 25 years and move it north of the border to Hamilton, Ontario, beginning with the 2026-27 season.
“We are excited to make Hamilton our primary affiliate in the American Hockey League,” said Mathieu Darche, general manager and executive vice president of the Islanders, in a statement. “The support the city has shown our organization throughout this transition has been incredible. We look forward to having our top young talent play in front of such a strong fanbase inside the newly renovated, world-class TD Coliseum, and we are committed to establishing ourselves in the community to engage a new generation of hockey fans.”
While the move gives the franchise a new minor league home, a renovated arena and a fresh fan base, it also comes with a tradeoff — distance.
For years, the Islanders’ top prospects were just about an hour away in Bridgeport. Now, the AHL affiliate — previously known as the Sound Tigers and currently the Bridgeport Islanders — would be more than 450 miles away, roughly a seven-and-a-half-hour drive from Long Island.
“On behalf of the entire New York Islanders organization, I want to extend our deepest thanks to the City of Bridgeport and the incredibly loyal fans who have supported this team for the past 25 years,” said Kelly Cheeseman, president of business operations for the Islanders and UBS Arena, in a statement. “From the early days of the Sound Tigers to our time as the Bridgeport Islanders, this community has been the heart of our AHL operations. We are grateful for the memories, the partnerships and the passion the fans in Connecticut have shown our players and staff.”
The move still requires approval from the American Hockey League Board of Governors before becoming official.
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