Bridgeport Islanders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bridgeport Islanders |
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| City | Bridgeport, Connecticut |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | Atlantic |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Home arena | Total Mortgage Arena |
| Colors | Blue, orange, white |
| Owner(s) | Jon Ledecky |
| General manager | Chris Lamoriello |
| Head coach | Rocky Thompson |
| Captain | Vacant |
| Media | Connecticut Post MSG Network News Radio WPOP (1410 AM) AHL.TV (Internet) |
| Affiliate(s) | New York Islanders (NHL) Worcester Railers (ECHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 2001–2021 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers |
| 2021–present | Bridgeport Islanders |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 (2001–02) |
| Division Championships | 2 (2001–02, 2011–12) |
| Conference Championships | 1 (2001–02) |
| Calder Cups | 0 |
 Current season |
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The Bridgeport Islanders are a professional ice hockey team from Bridgeport, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League (AHL). This team is connected to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL), who actually own the Bridgeport team. The team started playing in the 2001–02 season. They play their home games at the Total Mortgage Arena.
Contents
Team History
The team first joined the American Hockey League in 2001. Back then, they were called the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Their first coach was Steve Stirling. The name "Sound Tigers" was chosen because Bridgeport is near the Long Island Sound. It also honored the circuses of P. T. Barnum, who used to live in Bridgeport.
In their very first season, the Sound Tigers were super successful! They won their division and had the best record in the regular season. This earned them the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy. In the playoffs, they won the Eastern Conference championship and the Richard F. Canning Trophy. This meant they made it all the way to the Calder Cup finals! They played against the Chicago Wolves but lost the series.
In their second season, the team finished second in their division. They made it to the conference semifinals but lost there. After that, their coach, Steve Stirling, moved up to coach the New York Islanders. Greg Cronin became the new coach for the 2003–04 season. For many years as the Sound Tigers, the team didn't make the playoffs very often.
On May 10, 2021, the team announced a big change. They would change their name to the Bridgeport Islanders, starting with the 2021–22 season. This change made their connection to the New York Islanders even clearer.
The team finished the 2024-25 season with a record of 15 wins, 50 losses, 4 overtime losses, and 3 shootout losses. This was their toughest season ever. They also set a new AHL record for the fewest home wins in a season.
Team Identity
Meet Storm, the Mascot
The Bridgeport Islanders have a fun mascot named Storm. Storm is a blue tiger who acts like a person. He wears a jersey with the number 01 on it, which stands for the year the team was founded (2001). You can usually find Storm cheering on fans all around the arena. He also skates on the ice during breaks in the game. Storm's look has changed a bit since the team first started. Even with the team's name change, Storm is still a big part of the home games.
Team Rivalries
The Bridgeport Islanders have some exciting rivalries with other teams. Their main rival in Connecticut is the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Wolf Pack are connected to the New York Rangers, who are the main rivals of the Bridgeport Islanders' parent team, the New York Islanders. Games between these two teams are often called the "Battle of Connecticut."
The Islanders also have rivalries with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Providence Bruins. These rivalries grew because the teams often play each other in both regular season games and playoff matches. They also have a smaller rivalry with the Hershey Bears.
Team Records
Here are some of the best records set by players for the Bridgeport Islanders:
Single Season Records
- Most Goals: Jeff Hamilton scored 43 goals in the 2003–04 season.
- Most Assists: Chris Terry made 51 assists in the 2022–23 season.
- Most Points: Chris Terry earned 78 points (goals + assists) in the 2022–23 season.
- Most Penalty Minutes: Eric Godard had 295 penalty minutes in the 2004–05 season.
- Best Goals Against Average (GAA): Wade Dubielewicz had a GAA of 1.38 in the 2003–04 season.
- Best Save Percentage (SV%): Wade Dubielewicz had a save percentage of .946 in the 2003–04 season.
Career Records
- Career Goals: Jeff Hamilton scored 89 goals.
- Career Assists: Chris Terry made 129 assists.
- Career Points: Chris Terry earned 205 points.
- Career Penalty Minutes: Brett Gallant had 857 penalty minutes.
- Career Goaltending Wins: Wade Dubielewicz won 81 games.
- Career Shutouts: Wade Dubielewicz had 15 shutouts.
- Career Games Played: Seth Helgeson played 454 games.
