The Bridgeport Islanders (formerly the Bridgeport Sound Tigers) are a professional ice hockey team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who own the franchise. The team started in 2001âÂÂ02 season and was purchased by the Islanders in 2004. The team plays their home games at the Total Mortgage Arena.
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers joined the American Hockey League as an expansion franchise in 2001 and were coached by Steve Stirling. The team's name referenced both the Long Island Sound where Bridgeport lies and the circuses of former resident P. T. Barnum, with the Sound Tigers identity being unveiled at the Barnum Museum. In their inaugural season, the team won their division and had the best regular season record to win the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy. In the playoffs, they won the Eastern Conference championship and the Richard F. Canning Trophy to advance to the Calder Cup finals against the Chicago Wolves. They lost the series four games-to-one.
In their second season, the team finished second in their division and the fifth conference seed in the playoffs. They advanced to the conference semifinals, where they lost to their division champion Binghamton Senators in six games. Stirling was promoted to head coaching position with the New York Islanders and was replaced by Greg Cronin for 2003âÂÂ04. As the Sound Tigers, the team had limited success, missing the playoffs ten times and not winning a playoff round since their second season.
On May 10, 2021, it was announced that the team would change its name to the Bridgeport Islanders beginning with the 2021âÂÂ22 season.
The team finished the 2024âÂÂ25 season with a 15âÂÂ50âÂÂ4âÂÂ3 record, their worst record in team history. Alongside this, they finished with a home record of 4âÂÂ28âÂÂ1âÂÂ3, setting the record for the fewest home wins in a season for an AHL team.
The team is set to relocate to Hamilton, Ontario for the 2026âÂÂ27 season, to play at the renovated TD Coliseum, following unanimous approval by the AHL Board of Governors.
The lone mascot of the Bridgeport Islanders is an anthropomorphic blue tiger named Storm. He appears at home games sporting a jersey with the number 01 (short for the year the team was founded). While Storm can usually be found exciting fans throughout the arena, he skates on the ice during periodic intermissions. Storm's appearance has changed since the team's inaugural season. Storm has weathered the storm since the club's change to the Islanders moniker and is a regular at home games.
The main (and instate) rival of the Islanders are the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers (the main rival of the Bridgeport Islanders' parent club, the New York Islanders). The games have become known as the Battle of Connecticut.
<small>Updated March 3, 2026.</small><br>
The following players have played both 100 games in Bridgeport and 100 games in the National Hockey League: