We now know the new team name of Hamilton’s new American Hockey League franchise. According to the Canadian Press on Thursday, they will be known as the Hamilton Hammers. The city of Hamilton was awarded an American Hockey League franchise on March 19 when the New York Islanders announced they were moving their top minor league affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Hamilton. The Islanders are the only American National Hockey League franchise with an American Hockey League affiliate in Canada.
The Hammers’s colours will be blue and orange like the Islanders. There was an intent to connect with Hamilton’s steel city image. The steel industry employs 50,000 people in Hamilton.
The Hammers are one of seven Canadian teams in the American Hockey League. They are joined by the Toronto Marlies (affiliated with the Toronto Maple Leafs), the Laval Rocket (affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens), the Manitoba Moose (affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets), the Belleville Senators (affiliated with the Ottawa Senators), the Calgary Wranglers (affiliated with the Calgary Flames), and the Abbotsford Canucks (affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks). The Edmonton Oilers are the only Canadian team in the NHL with an AHL franchise not in Canada. They are affiliated with the Bakersfield Condors, located in California.
