Call It a Comeback: The Bridgeport Islanders Clinch Their Spot in the 2026 Playoff

Update: The Islanders finished the season losing 0-2 and 2-5 to the Bears, after 25 years in Connecticut. They will relocate to Hamilton, Ontario.es, the Bri

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Interior of Total Mortgage Arena, a 10,000-seat arena in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut, home of the Bridgeport Islanders AHL team..

Quintin Soloviev

By Mary Merensky

The Bridgeport Islanders, the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, have clinched their spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs after defeating their rival, the Hartford Wolf Pack, by a score of 4-1 on April 12, 2026.

This will be the Bridgeport Islanders' first time in the postseason since the 2022 playoffs.

It also comes off the back of the worst season in franchise history, as the Islanders finished the 2024-25 season in last place with only 15 wins, 50 losses, and a .257 win percentage.

So how did this team manage to turn things around in just one season? It all started when

Mathieu Darche was hired as the General Manager and Executive Vice President of the New

York Islanders back in May. In his introductory press conference, Darche stated, “The AHL will definitely be a focus for me because your players have to be ready. Because, let’s face it, every team needs players called up during the year.”

One of Darche’s first decisions in his new role was to hire a brand new coaching staff in

Bridgeport and appointed Rocky Thompson as the new Head Coach. The change at the head

coach position was clearly well-received by the players as they are expected to finish the

2025-26 season with an above .500 win percentage.

Of their last 10 games, Bridgeport has won eight of them, and part of the reason for the team’s

recent success is two young, highly skilled players, Cole Eiserman and Victor Eklund. Within a

week of each other, Eiserman and Eklund made their AHL debuts on March 21 and March 27,

respectively.

Victor Eklund had a great debut for Bridgeport and was able to secure the win for the team after scoring a game-winning goal in the shootout against the Laval Rocket. Of the seven games Eklund has played in, he has scored two goals and seven assists for a total of nine points. Currently, Cole Eiserman sits with two goals and two assists for a total of four points in nine games.

These two players have provided a spark for Bridgeport down the stretch, and fans are certainly looking forward to what they can accomplish in the playoffs.

While there is no denying the excitement that is currently surrounding the team, it is also

bittersweet for the fans.

On March 19, 2026, the New York Islanders announced that the Bridgeport Islanders will be

moving to Hamilton, Ontario, after the close of this season. This news makes Bridgeport clinching their playoff spot even more special, as it will serve as a final farewell to the city that has been home to the Islanders for their entire 25-year history