Hamilton Hammers add Luke Rowe and Cam Thiesing for AHL debut
Rowe brings 62 games of Bridgeport experience, and Thiesing arrives with Islanders contract pedigree. Hamilton’s first AHL roster is already taking shape.
Hamilton added defenseman Luke Rowe and forward Cam Thiesing on one-year AHL contracts, a pair of signings that says as much about the team’s identity as its depth chart. As the club prepares for its first season in Hamilton, the moves point toward a roster built to protect prospects, survive the North Division grind and give new head coach Jay McKee dependable options from the start.
Rowe, 27, comes from Succasunna, New Jersey, after logging 62 games for the Bridgeport Islanders last season. He produced two goals and 11 assists for 13 points, the kind of steady output that usually comes from a defenseman expected to handle regular minutes rather than chase headlines. Hamilton knows him from the same organization that is moving north, and that familiarity should matter as the franchise resets its AHL base in Ontario.
Thiesing, 25, is from Franklin, Tennessee, and already has an Islanders connection of his own. He signed a two-year, two-way entry-level contract with New York in March 2024, which gives Hamilton another player who has been in the organization’s development path before the first puck drop at TD Coliseum. His arrival gives the Hammers another forward option as they build a lineup that will have to balance pace, structure and the realities of a long AHL season.
The signings arrive after the AHL Board of Governors unanimously approved the relocation of the Islanders’ affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, beginning with the 2026-27 season. Hamilton will play in the AHL’s North Division at the renovated TD Coliseum, with its home opener set for Oct. 9, 2026. McKee was named head coach on May 29, and Vince Laise and Kain Tisi have also joined the staff as the franchise pieces together its inaugural-era bench.
That timing matters. Around the league, teams have been building their 2026-27 depth charts since late spring, long before the regular season starts in October. Hamilton’s early additions suggest a roster plan that values NHL pipeline continuity and practical AHL experience in equal measure. Rowe brings game-readiness on the back end, and Thiesing adds another layer to an affiliate that is being assembled to do more than just fill out a lineup card.
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