ISLANDERS CLINCH PLAYOFFS AND SET FRANCHISE RECORD IN HOME FINALE
By: Jason Shaya, Bridgeport Islanders
BRIDGEPORT, CT – In the final regular-season home game in franchise history, Bridgeport Islanders fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate as the team defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-1, extended its home winning streak to 10 games to set a franchise record and clinched a spot in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Wolf Pack struck early, as Bryce McConnell-Barker recorded his 13th goal of the season 1:13 into play on a two-on-one.
From there, the Islanders took over and controlled the pace of play for the remainder of the contest. Hartford would take a four-minute high-sticking penalty moments later, and in the final minute of their man advantage, Matthew Maggio evened the score for Bridgeport, as he was left alone in the slot and beat Spencer Martin at 7:19. The Islanders took their first lead of the afternoon at 12:31, as Ethan Bear fired home a wrister from the point for his fourth of the year.
The Islanders’ special teams dominance continued in the second period. Facing a Hartford man advantage, Adam Beckman pickpocketed a Wolf Pack defender before netting a short-handed tally on the breakaway for his 28th of the year, making it 3-1 heading into the second intermission.
In the third period, the Islanders’ power play struck again as Chris Terry extended his lead as the franchise’s all-time point leader with a goal from the slot to make the Bridgeport advantage 4-1 with 15:48 to play.
After finishing 32nd in the American Hockey League in consecutive seasons, the Bridgeport Islanders are heading to the postseason for the 11th time in franchise history and for the first time since 2021-22. If they hold onto the No. 4 seed, it will be Bridgeport’s highest seeding since the 2018-19 season, when they finished second in the Atlantic Division.
The Islanders will conclude their regular season schedule with three consecutive road games as they look to lock up the No. 4 seed in the Atlantic Division standings.
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ISLANDERS DROP ROAD CONTEST TO PHANTOMS, 7-3
By: Jason Shaya, Bridgeport Islanders
Allentown, PA – Saturday night inside the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania the Bridgeport Islanders had a chance to win the game against the division rival and clinch a playoff spot in pursuit of the Calder Cup. With both teams desperate to win there was no doubt there was going to be a game filled with drama. During the contest, there were seven goals scored in the opening period with the Isles on giving up five of them. As the game wore on, they were unable to overcome the deficit and ended up losing the road contest.
The Phantoms struck early at 1:13 with Phil Tomasino scoring on a shot that beat goalie, Henrik Tikkanen putting the Isles down 1-0. At 5:11 the Phantoms extended their lead on an odd man rush that was finished by Karsen Dorwart and Bridgeport found themselves down 2-0. But, a five-on-three goal by Bridgeport brought the team to a 2-1 game after Cole Eiserman blasted a shot that beat goaltender, Aleksei Kolosov at 7:46. It was Eiserman’s 2nd of the season. It was followed by a tally from Alex Jefferies at 8:51 after Chris Terry won the faceoff and Jefferies blasted the puck into the net tying the game at 2-2. Yet again the Phantoms took the lead after Jacob Gaucher scored at 11:52 bringing the game to a 3-2 contest. Gaucher scored again for the Phantoms to make it a 4-2 at 15:08. Tikkanen’s night was spelled as rookie Josh Kotai stepped on the ice. Unfortunately, the Phantoms continued to push and scored another goal and it was Zayde Wisdom who struck at 15:30 putting the game at 5-2.
While there was no scoring in the middle frame, during the third period, Victor Eklund at 10:32 for his second goal in as many games and continued a point streak which reached five games. This goal sliced the deficit to a 5-3 game. The Phantoms added two empty net goals at 17:32 and 18:17 to make it a 7-3 contest.
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ISLANDERS COMPLETE COMBACK, BEAT PENS 6-5 IN OT
By: Jason Shaya, Bridgeport Islanders
BRIDGEPORT, CT – Taking the ice for the penultimate home game of the regular season, the Bridgeport Islanders extended their home winning streak to nine games with a miraculous four-goal comeback, capped by an overtime winner from Pierrick Dube to defeat the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 6-5.
Just 92 seconds into the contest, Daylan Kuefler pickpocketed a Penguin defender along the left boards before making a nifty move on Sergei Murashov, giving Bridgeport a 1-0 lead with his tenth goal of the season.
Finn Harding evened the score 6:22 into play, as a shot from the point made its way to the rookie defenseman’s stick on the back post for his third of the season. The Penguins took their first lead of the night as a deflected puck off Tanner Howe’s skate made its way into the net 5:02 into the second period, followed a minute later by a tally from Gabe Klassen to make the score 3-1.
The Islanders cut their deficit to 3-2 10:08 into the second as Victor Eklund recovered a rebound and backhanded it in for his first North American professional goal.
On a 4-on-4, the Penguins retook their two-goal deficit as Harrison Brunicke netted his first AHL goal at 14:59.
1:55 into the third period, Atley Calvert scored off a rebound to extend the Penguins’ lead to 5-2. Joey Larson cut into the deficit at 2:29, roofing his 17th of the year off a feed from Adam Beckman. In the final sixty seconds of a five-minute power play, Liam Foudy cut Bridgeport’s deficit to one as he netted his 25th of the year off a rebound from Cole Eiserman.
In overtime, Pierrick Dube capped off the comeback with 37.8 seconds remaining.
The Islanders head to Lehigh Valley for a matchup against the Phantoms on Saturday, April 11 at 7:05 p.m. before returning home for the final regular season home game of the season on April 12 against the Hartford Wolf Pack at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at bridgeportislanders.com.
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ISLANDERS HOLD OFF WOLF PACK IN 4-2 WIN
By: Jason Shaya, Bridgeport Islanders
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Taking the ice with a seven-game winning streak inside Total Mortgage Arena and sole possession of fourth place in the Atlantic Division standings for the first time this season, the Bridgeport Islanders held off a late push from the Hartford Wolf Pack and skated into the Easter weekend with a 4-2 win.
The Islanders opened the scoring 4:49 into the first period. After Victor Eklund pick-pocketed the Wolf Pack defense, he found Daylan Kuefler in front of the net, who snuck a backhander past Spencer Martin for his ninth of the season in his 100th career AHL game. They’d double their lead at 14:16 thanks to Cam Thiesing, who sniped home his ninth of the year from long range. The Islanders continued their red-hot start at 18:07, as Eklund netted his second assist of the night on Marshall Warren’s sixth tally of the year.
In the second period, Trey Fix-Wolansky snuck in Hartford’s first goal of the contest at 5:53. 2:56 into the third, Hartford would make it a one-goal game as Bryce McConnell-Barker capitalized on a defensive zone turnover.
Holding off the Wolf Pack offense in the winding seconds of the third period, Matthew Highmore iced the contest with an empty-netter with 1:13 remaining.
The Islanders return to play on Thursday, April 9, as they host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7 p.m.
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AHL BOARD OF GOVERNORS APPROVES RELOCATION OF ISLANDERS TO HAMILTON
By: Jason Chaimovitch, AHL
SPRINGFIELD, MA … American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson announced that the AHL Board of Governors has unanimously approved the relocation of the franchise owned by the New York Islanders from Bridgeport, Conn., to Hamilton, Ont., beginning with the 2026-27 season.
The team will play at the newly renovated TD Coliseum in Hamilton, and will be a member of the AHL’s North Division.
In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the top development league for the players, coaches, managers, executives and broadcasters of every National Hockey League organization. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL during their careers.
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ISLANDERS WIN STREAK SNAPPED AGAINST BRUINS, LOSE 6-4
By: Jason Shaya, Bridgeport Islanders
Providence, RI – Coming into the Saturday night, the Bridgeport Islanders looked to win their fifth game in a row but they had to do it against the top team in the AHL, the Providence Bruins. Providence, winners of their last three games, clinched a playoff spot. The Islanders were determined to move even closer to doing the same if they could find a victory on the road. Despite going up by a pair of goals in the opening period, Providence pushed to comeback and take the game by a 6-4 score.
During the first period, Travis Mitchell scored off a faceoff win and fired a shot that beat Michael DiPietro at 10:32 for his first of the year and a 1-0 lead. Later, Matthew Highmore scored at 11:39 on a wrap-around shot as the Isles lead 2-0. But, Providence pushed back with two goals to tie the game. Joey Abate beat Marcus Hogberg off a deflection at 15:15 and then Georgii Merkulov tied the game at 18:38.
During the second period, Riley Tufte broke the tie at 13:47 on the powerplay to make it a 3-2 game for Providence. Tufte scored another goal on a deflection off a Islanders defenseman at 14:44 to make it a 4-2 game.
In the final period, James Hagens scored his first professional goal on the powerplay for the Bruins at 8:26 making the game 5-2. Cole Eiserman scored his first AHL goal after deflecting a puck by Matt Luff into the net at 12:53 on the powerplay. Tufte completed the hat-trick at 14:44 put Providence up by a 6-3 score. Isles defenseman Cole McWard added a goal at 17:07 bringing the contest to a 6-4 score but it wasn’t enough to fully close the gap.
The Isles are back on the ice at Total Mortgage Arena at 10:30 AM against the Hershey Bears. Seats are still available. Please visit bridgeportislanders.com for more information.
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