The New York Islanders officially announced on Thursday that they intend to move their AHL affilaite, the Bridgeport Islanders, to Hamilton, Ontario, following the 2025-26 season.
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The team will be set to play in the newly renovated TD Coliseum, which just underwent a $300 million renovation and seats 18,000 fans. The hope is to attract more talent to the Islanders organization, as the team will play in a more promising hockey environment, which Bridgeport could not compete with.
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Hamilton offers a much better venue and a stronger hockey market.
The move will have to wait for approval from the AHL board of governors.
Here’s the release:
“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. “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.”
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“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. “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.”
Joseph Lachase contributed to this story.
Read the full article here
