Sound Tigers No More

By Bob Phillips

BRIDGEPORT—OK, now you can say it. The Bridgeport Sound Tigers was a really stupid name. And now it is a name that will fade into history.

A new era in professional Connecticut sports dawned today when the New York Islanders announced that their American Hockey League affiliate would now be known as the Bridgeport Islanders. Speculation as to the fate of the former Sound Tigers had run rampant, especially with the parent team moving to the brand spanking new UBS Arena in Elmont, NY—spitting distance from the Belmont racetrack. And that left the Isle's current home, the Nassau County Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, ripe for a winter tenant. The move sets up a potential ECHL team coming to Long Island.

The new Bridgeport Islanders logo features an iconic mark for the team’s future. The strong letter “B” recognizes the great city of Bridgeport. The stick which forms the letter “B” has the parent Islanders “NY” logo as the tape on the blade, a subtle nod to the affiliation between the two clubs. The iconic Islanders blue and orange colors remain the same.

“Having the Islanders name associated with Bridgeport, creates a stronger tie between the NHL team and the top development team,” Bridgeport general manager and New York Islanders assistant general manager Chris Lamoriello said. “Every time a player puts on the Bridgeport uniform, they’ll be putting on the identical uniform the NHL team wears, except for the new logo.”

Bridgeport and the New York Islanders hold the fifth-longest current AHL-NHL affiliation, dating back to Bridgeport’s inaugural season in 2001-02. The New York Islanders purchased the club on July 22, 2004.

“This renaming is just the first step in some exciting new initiatives happening within our organization,” Bridgeport team president of business operations Brent Rossi said. “As we continue to work closely with the New York Islanders, the City of Bridgeport and Oak View Group, we are eager to unveil more progress at Webster Bank Arena as the 2021-22 season approaches.”

The Bridgeport Islanders can be found on the web at bridgeportislanders.com, as well as on Facebook (@AHLIslanders), Twitter (@AHLIslanders) and Instagram (@AHLIslanders).

—with staff reports