The New York Islanders’ attempt to put lipstick on a pig ended as you might expect for their AHL affiliate.
I wrote about the rebrand in the summer as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers became the Bridgeport Islanders.
“This is a mere cosmetic change for an AHL affiliate, which has been misused and unloved by New York. The good vibes from this makeover won’t last long once the puck hits the ice in October if results do not improve.”
Spoiler alert: the results did not improve.
Not only did results not improve but Bridgeport sunk to a new low. This is an incredible feat given how pathetic and uncompetitive the team was in finishing last the season before.
On home ice, Bridgeport finished with a 4-28-1-3 (.167) record, registering the fewest home wins in AHL history.
Islanders fans saw their team shut out four times and score three or more goals on just nine occasions.
In 22 games the congenial hosts conceded four or more goals and finished the season by recording seven straight losses.
Surprisingly crowds were up slightly by approximately 500 on average. I would venture that had more to do with clever marketing, persistent and ingenious sales agents offering cheap deals and the initial rebrand, rather than the on-ice product.
The 1987-88 Baltimore Skipjacks had been the previous owner for the fewest home wins in a season at 8-27-5 (.263). That particular team was unaffiliated and not subject to NHL assistance.
For the second successive season, Bridgeport will be ranked last in the AHL. They sit seventeen points behind the Manitoba Moose with two games remaining.
Chris Lamoriello has been the General Manager in Bridgeport since 2017 and has to be held largely accountable for this mess.
That he hasn’t before now leads you to think nepotism is at play with his father, Lou, holding the position of General Manager with the New York Islanders.
One of the biggest issues the club will face in rebuilding is that Bridgeport will not be a popular destination for high-end American League free agents. Thus, continuing with a poor product on the ice.
There have to be question marks over whether Chris Terry, Brian Pinho, Gemel Smith and Cole Bardreau will return, given the state of the team and lack of care and attention by the New York Islanders.
Firing head Coach Rick Kowalsky as a scapegoat appears to be a certainty given management’s previous history. The second question is, which quality candidate would want to take over what looks like a poison chalice?
The result of years of mismanagement is an AHL team in shambles and a fan base which is likely going to be slow on the uptake of season tickets unless stark reform is undertaken.
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