A new era begins at TD Coliseum as the Islanders move their farm system to Ontario, bringing top-tier prospects and a fresh identity to the AHL.
The New York Islanders new Hamilton AHL franchise will be called the Hamilton Hammers.
Hamilton will replace the relocated Bridgeport Islanders, the AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders.
An official announcement is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, at Hamilton's TD Coliseum, with the logo and colors to be revealed.
Bridgeport went 34-30-3-5 in the 2025-26 regular season and ultimately fell in Round 1 of the playoffs to the Hershey Bears.
Hamilton is set to be led by some of the Islanders' top prospects to start the 2026-27 season, potentially including Cole Eiserman, Kashawn Aitcheson, and Quinn Finley.
It was also recently announced that the Islanders have reached an ECHL affiliation agreement with the Trenton Ironhawks, replacing the Worcester Railers, who had served as their ECHL affiliate since 2017.