New Hamilton AHL team will be The Hammers

The New York Islanders affiliate will start play at TD Coliseum in October, bringing the league back to the city for the first time since the AHL's Bulldogs left in 2015.

It may have been the obvious – perhaps inevitable? – choice. When the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders take the ice in the fall they will be called the Hamilton Hammers.

Officials from the NHL team, the AHL, Oak View Group, and the City of Hamilton were on hand for the unveiling Thursday, while young hockey players from across the region sat in the crowd at TD Coliseum.

“Rooted in Hamilton’s history as a resilient steel town, the team’s logo features crossed hammers symbolizing the strength, grit, and togetherness of the community, embodying both the city’s steelworking heritage and the spirit of the game,” reads a press release about the announcement. 

“The design reflects Hamilton’s pride and determination, showcasing the unique character that defines the city, while bold, angular lettering evokes the spirit of Steel Town.”

The team’s jerseys will be orange and blue “drawn from the Islanders’ classic team colours, reinforcing the connection to the club’s history and evolution.”

News of the name drew some frosty responses online after it was announced, but officials in attendance celebrated the moniker. 

“I love the name. This is a great start for building this team's brand,” said Scott Howson, president and CEO of the AHL, who once lived in Hamilton.

Nick DeLuco, senior vice-president and general manager of TD Coliseum, told reporters that he thinks the name will grow on critics.

“I honestly think it really hits locally. I know it is a bit on the nose, but I really think the brand and the look and the feel and the tie with the Islanders’ colours is different and unique. And I think it's a team name that fans can rally around locally, and there's a tie to it. So, look, no matter what you announce, some are going to love it, some are going to hate it. But I do think we have a great logo and a great brand, and something we can all rally around.”

Mayor Andrea Horwarth is also a fan of the name.

“The Hamilton Hammers brand reflects Hamilton's industrial heritage, our resilience, and our community pride. It's our city's nickname, the Hammer. Hamilton, as we all know, and as is often said, is a city with grit, a city that works hard, that shows up for one another, and takes enormous pride in its community,” she said.

The brand unveiling comes a few weeks after the New York Islanders announced plans to relocate its AHL affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Hamilton beginning with the 2026–27 season. The move was anchored by a long-term agreement at the newly revitalized TD Coliseum, the 18,000-seat venue owned and operated by Oak View Group.

It comes just a week after the official kickoff as the yet-to-be-named expansion Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team that will also begin play at TD Coliseum in the fall.

“For generations, hockey has been part of the fabric, the very fabric of this city,” said the mayor. “Today, the announcement officially gives Hamilton hockey fans a new professional hockey team to rally around. This team belongs to Hamiltonians.”

The new team is the latest in the long history of pro hockey in Hamilton, dating back to the NHL's Hamilton Tigers in 1920. The AHL had a presence in the city for close to 20 years, initially as the affiliate for the Edmonton Oilers and then the Montreal Canadiens.

Howson noted that almost exactly 30 years ago – May 1996 – he was in the same arena when it was announced the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers was moving to Hamilton to become the Bulldogs. Howson was the team’s first GM, and helped lead the new franchise to the Calder Cup final in its first year.

Howson, a native of Thornhill, lived in Hamilton for five years, bought his first home with his wife on Robinson Street, and had their first two children at St. Joseph’s Hospital. He said they loved their time in Hamilton.

“So, on a personal level, this is bringing me great joy,” he told the crowd. 

The AHL departed Hamilton in 2015, when the Bulldogs relocated to St. John's, Nfld.

Each of the AHL’s 32 teams serves as the primary development team for an NHL club. Hamilton will be the seventh franchise in Canada, joining Abbotsford, Calgary, Manitoba, Toronto, Belleville, and Laval. The league develops players, coaches, officials, and front office staff for NHL clubs. 

Longtime hockey executive Peter Luukko, who is now co-chair of Oak View Group, said Hamllton’s arena has been home to great hockey memories and bringing the AHL back to the city will only build more. 

“If you look at the American Hockey League, it’s the second-best league in the world, and just as important, it’s family-affordable fun. A family can come here for a reasonable price and have a really good time.”

Howson pointed out that 87 per cent of players on NHL rosters developed in the AHL this season. That included 269 former first- and second-round draft picks. Ninety-seven players from the AHL made their NHL debuts this year and stars such as Nikita Kucherov, Connor Hellebuyck, Tage Thompson, and William Nyelander, along with coaches Jon Cooper, John Tortorella, and Paul Maurice are all former AHL coaches.

Hamilton fans will see the evolution of the hockey the AHL presents, says Howson.

“Like the NHL, our league has gotten so much better in terms of skill, in terms of speed, the athlete is so much better now, so we're bringing a whole different brand of hockey here that's very high quality.”

Hamilton will play in the AHL’s North division, along with Toronto, Belleville, Syracuse, and Rochester. Of course, the feeling is a natural rivalry will emerge between Toronto and Hamilton.

AHL players and franchises truly become embedded in their communities, says Howson.

“The other thing I want to point out is our teams are significant community assets. We make our cities better places to live and contribute to our communities with fundraising awareness through player appearances. Last year our teams contributed more than $8 million to various charitable and community colleges. We're extremely excited to be here to be back in Hamilton in this newly renovated and beautiful arena. I have no doubt our return to Hamilton will be a success.”

When asked about moving its AHL affiliate further away than its current location, New York Islanders president Kelly Cheeseman said it’s either a two-hour drive from Long Island to Bridgeport or a two-hour flight to Hamilton.

He said the Islanders are well into a rebuilding process, including drafting high-quality players, that will pay off for hockey fans in Hamilton.

“We’re at a different stage of developing our overall franchise, so having more high-end prospects being in the market is gonna be important for us. So that takes time,” he told reporters. “Our commitment to the market is to make sure we have a competitive team here, too, so that's gonna be a focus for our hockey ops.”

Matt Martin, a winger with both the Islanders and the Maple Leafs, who is now special advisor to the GM of the Islanders said Hammers players will get to play in “the best AHL building in the league.”

“I wish I had played in a building like this when I was in the AHL.”

Cheeseman said the $300 million investment in TD Coliseum was a “big factor” in the decision to relocate the team, along with the partnership created with OVG that will see the latter assume all the business operations of the team, including ticketing, and sponsorships. OVG is co-owner of UBS Arena where the Islanders play. 

The knowledgeable and passionate local fanbase was also in the plus column.

“So to be able to develop this arena in this market, revitalize the downtown, and give our players a competitive environment that's tough for them to be in every night, that's what's critical for making high-quality NHL players.”

Horwath said TD Coliseum has already proven to be an economic catalyst in the city’s downtown and will continue to grow its impact in the immediate vicinity of the arena and beyond.

“The return of  AHL hockey to Hamilton will also bring visitors to our downtown in even greater numbers, supporting those local businesses, the bars, the hotels, the retailers, while creating unforgettable experiences for fans and families across our community. We are seeing incredible momentum in the Hammer. Hamilton is on the map.”

Horwath said he has heard from local businesses that are enjoying the uptick in foot traffic and seeing customers from a wider area than before. There are new investments in housing, hotels, and employment, too. But she also said that there is work to be done in making sure people coming downtown are safe and feel safe. That requires the City’s housing division, police, service providers, and the business community working together.

But attracting more people downtown to have fun will make it a safer place, she said. 

“When you have a vibrant, busy downtown, then we'll still have people who are suffering, we'll still have people who are having a difficult time, but they will be not the majority of people, they will be the minority of people. And right now I think we see a lot of the visible distress in our community because we don't have the numbers of other folks around that will help change that dynamic.”

It has been exactly six months since the building opened, DeLuco said, and since then 65 events have been hosted or announced and more than 400,000 people have walked through the doors.

“So this building has been nothing short of a resounding success.”

Tom Pistore, president of OVG Canada, said “thousands” of fans have put down deposits on season tickets for the AHL team, and with the two hockey franchises, along with the Toronto Rock lacrosse games, and busy slate of concerts, TD Coliseum is poised to host 150 events next year.

“It's going to revitalize and rejuvenate the entire downtown core.”