After the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders relocated from Connecticut, the New York Islanders AHL affiliate will begin a new chapter in Hamilton under a new name, the Hamilton Hammers. The Hammers will play their inaugural season at TD Coliseum, giving Hamilton a professional hockey team of its own for the first time since the city’s previous professional team left in 2015.
For Brock students, the team’s arrival also provides a new opportunity to watch professional hockey without having to make the trip to Toronto or Buffalo. Here are five reasons why Brock students should know about the Hamilton Hammers.
Professional hockey is back in Hamilton
The biggest reason to pay attention to the Hammers is simple: professional hockey is back. The move brings the AHL back to a city with a long history of professional hockey. Hamilton previously hosted the Hamilton Bulldogs who played in the AHL from 1996 to 2015. The city later had the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL starting in 2015, before the team relocated to Brantford in 2023.
Now three years later, professional hockey is returning. For Hamilton hockey fans, the Hammers represent a new era while also bringing back a familiar part of the city’s sports culture.
They are connected to the New York Islanders
The Hammers are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders, meaning that Hamilton will be home to players working toward reaching the NHL.
With the AHL serving as the top development league for all 32 NHL teams, the games are an opportunity for fans to watch prospects develop before potentially making the jump to the NHL.
For Islanders fans, the Hammers will provide a closer look at the organization’s future. For hockey fans who simply enjoy watching young players compete, the team also offers a chance to see future NHL talent while they develop.
The Hammers start from scratch
There is something different about following a team during its first season, which has been seen with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken.
The Hammers are not simply moving into Hamilton with an established identity; they’re building one. The teams name and logo were revealed in May with their identity designed around Hamiliton’s history as a steel city. The logo features crossed hammers, representing the city’s industrial background while connecting that history to the hockey team. That makes the 2026-2027 season the beginning of the Hammers’ history.
Everything from the first goal to the first home win will become part of the franchise’s record book. For fans in Hamilton, that creates the opportunity to say they were there from the start.
They have a new home
The Hammers will play their home games at TD Coliseum, a recently transformed 18,000 seat venue in Hamilton. The arena had a complete transformation as part of the return of professional hockey to the city.
The Hammers will play 36 regular season home games during their inaugural season, giving fans plenty of opportunities to experience professional hockey in the new venue. The arena also provides a fresh setting for the team to establish its identity. With a new franchise and a transformed arena, the Hammers are entering Hamilton at a time when both the team and its building are beginning a new chapter.
Brock students have a new option for hockey
For Brock students, one of the biggest advantages of following the Hammers is how close the team is. Students living in St. Catharines have access to the Niagara region hockey scene, as well as the varsity teams at Brock, but the arrival of the Hammers offers another professional option within driving distance. Going to a Hammers game can be a great way to take a break from the books to go out and connect with friends and the hockey community.
For students interested in following the new team, the Hamilton Hammers official website have the complete 2026-2027 schedule and more information about the team.
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The Hammers will open their inaugural season on the road against the Belleville Senators on Friday, Oct. 2. One week later, Hamilton will host its first official home game on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. against the Toronto Marlies at TD Coliseum.
The Hammers’ inaugural season is more than the arrival of another hockey team. It marks the return of professional hockey to Hamiliton and the beginning of a new franchise that will be connected to the Islanders for years to come. For Brock students and hockey fans in the region, there is now another team to watch and a new history being written just down the road.