For the past 25 seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL), the Bridgeport Islanders have called Total Mortgage Arena home. With their 25-26 season concluded, the team and AHL Board of Governors announced that the team will relocate to Hamilton, Ontario, and play at the newly renovated TD Coliseum for the start of the 2026-27 season.
The TD Coliseum is an 18,000-seat venue that was home to the Hamilton Bulldogs’ AHL and OHL teams from 1996-2015 (AHL), and 2015-2023 (Ontario Hockey League). The venue nearly doubles the size of Total Mortgage Arena.
The team will switch from the Atlantic Division to the North Division. North teams consist of the Syracuse Crunch, Laval Rocket, Cleveland Monsters, Toronto Marlies, Rochester Americans, Utica Comets, and the Belville Senators.
Oakview Group manages Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport as well as the TD Coliseum in Hamilton. Representatives from the group thought it would be beneficial to relocate due to poor attendance, the aging structure of Total Mortgage Arena, and to place the New York Islanders’ top prospects in a new market.
Local Connecticut fans are devastated. This is the second professional sports team in Connecticut to relocate since the Hartford Whalers’ departure for Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1997.
Bridgeport hockey fan Aaron Kerzner says, “The move doesn’t make a lot of sense. When they take the banner down outside the arena, it is going to feel different.”
In their 25 year-tenure, the Islanders (formerly known as the Sound Tigers) have one Calder Cup Final appearance and two division titles in 2001 and 2011. In previous seasons, the team has struggled, holding one of the worst records in AHL history during the 24-25 season (15-50-4), with only four home wins.
Head Coach Rocky Thompson turned the team around. Hired at the beginning of the season, replacing Rick Kowalsky. Eventually making the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, shaping the team into a unit with a versatile playing style. As of May 5, 2026, Thompson was promoted to assistant coach of the New York Islanders.
On April 23, 2026, the Bridgeport Islanders played their last ever game as a franchise, losing to the Hershey Bears five goals to two. They lost two nights prior, which was their very last ever game at Total Mortgage Arena. They lost two games to none in the first round.
With the Islanders’ exit, Total Mortgage Arena may sit abandoned for weeks, and possibly months. Bridgeport and city officials have been planning what to do with the arena, whether it’s for concerts, hockey games, or an all-entertainment venue.
Senior Mike Breunig says, “I hope it’s another sports team. Whether it’s hockey or basketball, to keep the arena alive.”
With the relocation to Canada after 25 years in the Park City, three trademark titles have been proposed to rename the team. Three possibilities include the Hamilton Hammers, Hamilton Mustangs, and Hamilton Havoc.
