New York Islanders File 3 Possible Name Trademarks for Relocated AHL Team in Hamilton – SportsLogos.Net News
After announcing its relocation from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, it appears the New York Islanders have narrowed the possible new names for their American Hockey League affiliate to three.
Last week, the Islanders filed for a trio of trademarks with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office; they were spotted in a database search on Wednesday, April 22, by Abbotsford News reporter and frequent database searcher Ben Lypka. The filings include:
HAMILTON MUSTANGS
HAMILTON HAVOC
HAMILTON HAMMERS
The applicant for all three filings is Islanders Holding LLC based in Floral Park, New York, and all three cover goods like clothing and hockey equipment, as well as services like “entertainment in the nature of hockey games; organization of hockey games; providing information in the field of sports and entertainment through an internet website; producing, distributing sports events and television programs.”
The Islanders announced in March that they would move their AHL team from Bridgeport to Hamilton to play out of the newly renovated TD Coliseum starting in the 2026-27 season.
The Bridgeport team was known as the Sound Tigers from their founding in 2001 until 2021, when it adopted the same moniker as its parent club. In 2024, Bridgeport brought back a version of the Islanders’ infamous fisherman logo from the mid-1990s as its primary logo.
If the Hamilton Mustangs name rings a bell, that’s because it’s the name of the fictional team that Dean Youngblood (played by Rob Lowe) plays for in the 1986 movie “Youngblood.” The name was reprised — with a different logo and colour scheme — in a 2026 remake, the release of which was marked by two ECHL teams donning jerseys from the movie in a game in March.
Hamilton last had a team in the AHL from 1996 to 2015 with the Hamilton Bulldogs, who were affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens over that time. In 2015, the Canadiens bought the franchise and moved it to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, but former owner Michael Andlauer retained the name and logo. He subsequently bought the Ontario Hockey League’s Belleville Bulls and moved them to Hamilton.
While the TD Coliseum renovations were happening, the Bulldogs temporarily moved to Brantford, Ontario. But in January 2025, Oilers forward Zach Hyman and his family bought the team from Andlauer and signed a deal with the City of Brantford to play there for at least 15 seasons.
Which of the three names filed would you prefer to see the Hamilton AHL team use? Let us know in the comments!
