Islanders AHL Affiliate Set to Move from Bridgeport to Hamilton

The New York Islanders and Oak View Group announced their intent to relocate the organization's AHL affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Hamilton, Ontario for the 2026-27 season, closing out a 25-year chapter in Connecticut and bringing professional hockey back to a city that last hosted a minor-league franchise in 2015.

The relocation, announced March 19, centers on a long-term agreement with TD Coliseum in Hamilton, an 18,000-seat arena operated by Oak View Group that recently underwent a $300 million transformation. The move still requires formal approval from the AHL Board of Governors before it becomes official.

"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."

The franchise has operated in Bridgeport since 2001, first as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and then, beginning in 2021, as the Bridgeport Islanders. Hamilton's last AHL tenant was the Hamilton Bulldogs, a Montreal Canadiens affiliate that relocated to St. John's, Newfoundland in 2015 and was renamed the St. John's IceCaps.

Kelly Cheeseman, President of Business Operations for the Islanders and UBS Arena, addressed the Bridgeport community directly in the announcement. "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," Cheeseman said. "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 Islanders stated they remain committed to working with the City of Bridgeport on a successful transition for Total Mortgage Arena, the facility that has housed the affiliate since the franchise's founding in Connecticut.

Hamilton city officials welcomed the announcement as the return of professional hockey to the city. Several open questions remain heading into that approval process, including whether the franchise will retain the "Islanders" name in Hamilton or adopt a new identity suited to its new home. The financial terms and length of the long-term agreement with TD Coliseum have not been disclosed publicly.