Islanders Minor League Hockey Team To Exit Bridgeport's Total Mortgage Arena At End Of Season

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Bridgeport officials announced Thursday that the New York Islanders will move their minor league hockey team from Total Mortgage Arena at the end of its 25th season this spring, ending a two-decade run at the city-owned waterfront venue.

In a separate announcement also on Thursday, the team said it is moving the AHL affiliate to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The arena has been home to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and, more recently, the Bridgeport Islanders. Originally known as the Arena at Harbor Yard, the facility opened on Oct. 10, 2001, as part of Bridgeport’s waterfront revitalization effort. The city said the arena was designed as a multipurpose venue for sports, concerts, and large entertainment events and was part of a broader public investment in Connecticut’s tourism and entertainment infrastructure.

Now known as Total Mortgage Arena, the building can seat up to 10,000 for concerts and more than 8,000 for hockey, according to the city. Over the past two decades, it has hosted events including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Monster Jam, and concerts by Bruce Springsteen and Elton John.

"We thank the New York Islanders and Oak View Group for bringing sports fans and concertgoers to Bridgeport for more than two decades. Bridgeport has earned the reputation as the 'Arts and Entertainment Capital of Connecticut,' and the Arena has been a major part of that story," said Mayor Joe Ganim in a statement.

Ganim also said the city will begin planning for the facility’s future with state partners.

"I am committed to working with our state partners on a public process that will reimagine what this facility can be and how we can continue to foster Bridgeport’s arts and entertainment identity," Ganim said.

In a statement, the Islanders thanked Bridgeport for the support.

"On behalf of the entire New York Islanders organization, I want to extend our deepest thanks to the City of Bridgeport and the incredibly loyal fans who have supported this team for the past 25 years," said Kelly Cheeseman, President of Business Operations for the Islanders and UBS Arena. "From the early days of the Sound Tigers to our time as the Bridgeport Islanders, this community has been the heart of our AHL operations. We are grateful for the memories, the partnerships, and the passion the fans in Connecticut have shown our players and staff."

No specific plans have been announced for when the public process will begin to fill the Bridgeport venue. The city said leaders have started engaging stakeholders at multiple levels of government and are working to determine a new future for the facility. According to the city, those stakeholders are committed to keeping the arena open and supporting Bridgeport’s economy, arts, and culture.

The city said more information about next steps in the public process will be released when details become available.