Ryan Fanti to join Hamilton Hammers for inaugural AHL season

Hamilton is adding Ryan Fanti on an AHL contract for 2026-27, a move that gives the New York Islanders’ new affiliate an experienced goaltender before its inaugural season even reaches camp. The agreement, first reported by Tony Androckitis, pushes the crease race toward competition and gives the Hammers a safer floor in a position that can unravel quickly for a first-year club.

Fanti, 25, spent last season with the Syracuse Crunch and appeared in 27 games, finishing 13-12-1 with a 2.41 goals-against average. He also spent the last two seasons in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, which gives Hamilton a goalie who has already worked his way through a pro depth chart and has recent AHL workload behind him. His background includes stops with Minnesota Duluth and the Minnesota Wilderness before he moved into the professional ranks.

The contract details help explain why Hamilton moved now. PuckPedia lists Fanti’s previous deal as a one-year contract worth $775,000 with a $775,000 cap hit, and it expired at the end of the 2025-26 season. For a club building from scratch, that is the profile of a practical add: a goaltender with recent games, a clean contract line, and enough experience to make the opening-night job harder for anyone hoping to coast into a roster spot.

That makes Fanti more than simple insurance. Hamilton is not just filling a net; it is setting the first order of business for its crease hierarchy, and Fanti’s arrival puts pressure on any younger goalies trying to climb into the picture while giving the Hammers a legitimate challenger for starts. The Islanders’ affiliate can now enter its first season with at least one pro-tested option in the crease, instead of leaning entirely on projection and hope.

Hamilton’s roster work is still taking shape, but Fanti’s addition shows the club is already valuing stability in goal. That is usually where a new AHL team feels the most exposed, and Hamilton chose to address it before the season starts.