‘It’s happening’: NHL insider says pro-hockey returning to Hamilton

An official announcement hasn’t been made just yet, but NHL insider Frank Seravalli is reporting that the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders will have a new home here in Hamilton.

News: Expect @TheAHL back in Hamilton in 2026-27.

Deal isn’t completed yet but discussions have centered on Bridgeport moving to Hamilton, Ontario after this upcoming season to play in a completely overhauled TD Coliseum after a $300 million renovation. pic.twitter.com/7tHJM986jk

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 30, 2025

When CHCH News reached out to the hockey team yesterday, they said they had no information on this so we’ll be waiting to see if something comes out today.

Seravalli teased the possibility of the AHL returning to Hamilton last June in a post on X.

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Then, Thursday afternoon, in an exchange with a reporter who covers the Bridgeport Islanders, Seravalli said “they are moving to Hamilton. It’s happening.”

The team based in Connecticut started in 2001 and is the affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders.

They changed their name from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to the Islanders in 2021.

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Commenters on the post aren’t happy about the move while others are already brainstorming what the hockey team’s name could be if they come here.

Hamiltonians will likely welcome a new team with open arms.

The Hamilton Bulldogs were the last pro-hockey team to play in the city before they relocated to St. John’s, N.L. in 2015.

The AHL team was replaced by the Hamilton Bulldogs OHL soon after that when then owner Michael Andlauer moved the Belleville Bulls to the former First Ontario Centre.

The team then moved to Brantford, Ont. in 2023.

CHCH News has reached out to TD Coliseum and Mayor Andrea Horwath to see if there’s anything they can confirm on their end when it comes to professional hockey back in Hamilton.

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