Bridgeport Islanders are moving to Hamilton for the 2026-2027 AHL season. My guess is that they will also be moving to the North Division. Yet another Hamilton/Toronto Rivalry
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Being a life long over 50 year plus Islanders fan this is fantastic news to me . It will also help the fact that number 1 draft choice Matthew Schaefer is an Islander and is also a hometown Hamilton boy .
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Hoping he needs a conditioning stint at some point?
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Do AHL teams get a lot of support in Canada? I didn’t even realize there were any Canadian teams in the league.
Makes me think of the american teams in the OHL lol
I cant speak for Belleville (ON), Laval (QC), Toronto (ON), Abbotsford (BC), Manitoba (MB),
Going by this link Laval avg 9740, Toronto 5165, Manitoba 3580, Belleville 2779, Abbotsford 3765
Right now Bridgeport ag 4235. When Hamilton had the AHL last back in 2015 when Toronto and Rochester came to down it would draw like 7-9,000 fans just 1 game. With the way that AHL has changed things post covid where it went from 82 games down to 72 plus to cut down on travel of the 72 games you play 60 of them will be against your division rivals.
With Hamilton being moved from Atlantic (currently playing Wilkes Barre ¶, Providence, Charlotte, Lehigh Valley, Hershey, Hartford and Springfield) to moving to North as it only makes mense you would then play Laval (QC), Syracuse (NY), Toronto (ON), Rochester (NY), Belleville (ON), Cleveland (OH) and Utica (NY)
Hamilton and Toronto will have a big rival as they always do in sports, Laval and Hamilton will have a rival due to history as the 2015 Bulldogs AHL moved to Laval, Rochester (Buffalo AHL) always drew crowds. IM sure there will be some rival between Belleville (who used to have the Belleville Bulls OHL) moved to Hamilton to become to Hamilton Bulldogs OHL before moving to Brantford.
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I’m going to an AHL game tonight in Rockford. My first professional hockey game since about 1979 or 80.
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Right on! I’m heading out to the old barn to cheer on my local OHL team!
Nothing beats local hockey 
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I’m interested but it will depend heavily on the price. Abbotsford charges $61/game for centre ice tickets, Coachella Valley (who is owned by the owners of TD Coliseum) charges $60 USD per game for centre ice tickets. Laval, Manitoba, and Toronto are about half that.
Enjoy !
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Pre-NHL, the Moose were averaging about 8K (lower bowl sellouts). I feel like the lower attendance these days are a direct result of the Jets draft stock being depleted. Its been a while since we’ve seen a Cory Schneider/Kyle Connor level prospect. Also, we don’t have the veterans like Mike Keane coming in to close out their career in the A.
hello!
I’m not very into hockey, only the playoffs and Canadian teams. I know the history of the Quebec Nordiques and how they are still missed, so I find it strange that they don’t have an AHL team. Is there a specific reason for this? I understand that these teams are extensions of an NHL team, maybe that’s it? They don’t even have a team in the EHL, only TRois Rivieres Lions, but is far from Quebec City
You go Montreal AHL team in Laval plus u got qmjhl league
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I wonder whether a large part of the “issue” isn’t that an AHL team would be perceived as an insult by the local hockey fans as they believe they “deserve” an NHL team and thus not be supported.
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This is very much part of why people think Hamilton teams never seem to get the support they should.
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yes, good point, Thanks for the idea, I hadn’t thought that could be the reason. Unfortunately for them, I think they’ll be waiting years to have again an NHL team. Sorry for not responding sooner, I’ve been a bit busy these last few days.
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regardless if its OHL, AHL or NHL im still happy with Hockey in Hamilton regardless of which league.
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This is certainly good news for Hamilton! Shai re-investing in the community by being part owner of TD Coliseum.
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I hope this makes getting a CEBL team back a priority.
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