Hamilton Hammers Home Opener

When looking at the seating chart, you would never know that Hamilton has been without hockey at this level since 2023. The city last had an American Hockey League team in 2014-15, when the Hamilton Bulldogs, then the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, played their final season in the city.

Now, hockey is back in Hamilton with the Hamilton Hammers, and the excitement is already building. The Hammers’ first home game is expected to draw between 8,000 and 9,000 fans.

Islanders Fans Have Plenty to Watch

If you are an Islanders fan, there are plenty of key pieces on this roster to keep an eye on, along with a number of depth players who could make an impact.

The line of Liam Foudy, Daylan Kuefler and Mitchell Chaffee has already been productive, combining for eight points through the team’s first two games.

Other players expected to draw attention include veteran defensemen Ethan Bear and Isaiah George. Up front, veteran forwards Matthew Highmore and Alex Jefferies provide experience, while Marshall Warren adds another veteran presence to the lineup.

The Hammers also have several highly regarded young players, including two recent Islanders first-round picks.

Cole Eiserman, selected 20th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2024 NHL Draft, is one of the biggest names to watch. The other is Kashawn Aitcheson, selected 17th overall by the Islanders in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Goaltending

The Hammers’ goaltending tandem features veteran Vitek Vanecek and rookie Joshua Kotai.

Through one game, Vanecek is 1-0-0 with a .926 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average. Kotai is 0-1-0 with a .857 save percentage and a 5.12 GAA.

With only two games played, there is obviously a very small sample size, but the two goaltenders will be an important part of the Hammers’ season as the team settles into its new home.

Early Season Numbers

Hamilton currently sits fifth in the North Division, with every team in the division sitting at 1-1 through the opening two games. With 70 games still remaining, there is obviously plenty of hockey left to be played.

Through two games, the Hammers have scored eight goals while allowing seven.

Their power play has been one of the early bright spots. Hamilton has gone 3-for-13 with the man advantage, good for a 23.1 percent success rate. That ranks second in the North Division and 11th overall in the AHL.

The penalty kill has gone 7-for-9, an 80.0 percent success rate that currently ranks 19th in the league.

Again, with only two games in the books, these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. The Hammers have a long season ahead and plenty of time for those numbers to change.

A Busy Start at Home

Hamilton opened the season with a 5-2 victory over the Belleville Senators before falling 5-3 to the Toronto Marlies.

The Hammers will now face the Marlies again on Friday for their home opener before meeting Toronto once more on Sunday.

After that weekend series, Hamilton’s October schedule remains busy:

• October 16: vs. Rochester Americans (Buffalo)

• October 18: vs. Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay)

• October 21: at Toronto Marlies (Toronto)

• October 23: vs. Laval Rocket (Montreal)

• October 24: vs. Laval Rocket (Montreal)

• October 29: vs. Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)

• October 30: at Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay)

A Different AHL Landscape

A lot has changed since Hamilton last had an AHL team in 2014-15.

The AHL schedule has been reduced from 82 games to 72, with 60 of those games coming against teams within a club’s division.

The addition of the Bridgeport Islanders to the North Division also creates an additional playoff opportunity within the division, making every divisional game even more important as the season progresses.

For Hamilton, however, the immediate focus is much simpler: bringing professional hockey back to the city.

After years without AHL hockey, the Hamilton Hammers are finally ready to take the ice in front of their home crowd.

And with an expected crowd of 8,000 to 9,000 fans, the atmosphere should be something special.

One last thing I would like to mention if you haven’t done so head over to https://www.youtube.com/@HamiltonSportsCentral and check out out our Post Practice Media Scrums and Post Game Media Scrums. Also we do have The Final Shift which is our Post Game show.