List of professional sports teams in Connecticut

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Connecticut is home to the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and several minor league sports teams, although it has not had a men's major league franchise since the Hartford Whalers of the NHL relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina in 1997.

Contents

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Ice Hockey

Soccer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Hockey League</span> Ice hockey league in the United States and Canada

The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). As of the 2024–25 AHL season, all 32 NHL teams held affiliations with an AHL team. Historically, when an NHL team does not have an AHL affiliate, its players are assigned to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL franchises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford Whalers</span> Former professional ice hockey team (1972–1997)

The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albany River Rats</span> Minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League

The Albany River Rats were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Stirling</span> Ice hockey player

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The Bridgeport Islanders are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who own the franchise. The team started in 2001–02 season and were purchased by the Islanders in 2004. The team is based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and play their home games at the Total Mortgage Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford Wolf Pack</span> American Hockey League team in Hartford, Connecticut

The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the XL Center. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. After a series of relocations, the team moved to Hartford in 1997 as the Hartford Wolf Pack. It is one of the oldest professional hockey franchises in existence, and the oldest continuously operating minor league hockey franchise in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Total Mortgage Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.

Total Mortgage Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States. It is the home venue of the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League (AHL). Managed by the Oak View Group, the arena was built alongside the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater and opened on October 10, 2001. Webster Bank entered into a 10-year $3.5 million agreement on January 6, 2011 with the City of Bridgeport for the arena naming rights. When this agreement ended, the City entered into a new one on March 8, 2022, that granted the naming rights to Total Mortgage of Milford, Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockton Thunder</span> Former professional minor league ice hockey team in Stockton, California

The Stockton Thunder were a minor league professional ice hockey team that was based in Stockton, California, and a member of the ECHL. The Stockton Arena was their home ice, with a capacity of 9,737. The team was an affiliate team of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League in their final two seasons. The team was purchased by the Calgary Flames and relocated to Glens Falls, New York, as the Flames relocated their American Hockey League team to Stockton to become the Stockton Heat.

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Howard Lapsley Baldwin is an American entrepreneur and film producer. Baldwin founded the New England Whalers ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and retained ownership when the team became the Hartford Whalers and joined the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also owned part of the Minnesota North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins NHL franchises. He is the CEO of Baldwin Entertainment, which has produced films such as the Academy Award-nominated Ray.

Girard "Gerry" McDonald is an American former professional ice hockey player who played eight games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Hartford Whalers between 1981 and 1984. He grew up on Elmlawn Road in Braintree, Massachusetts. Gerry graduated from Braintree High School in 1976 and North Adams State College in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danbury Whalers</span> Ice hockey team in Danbury, Connecticut

The Danbury Whalers were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Federal Hockey League that began play in the 2010–11 season. Based in Danbury, Connecticut, the Whalers played at the Danbury Ice Arena, located in CityCenter Danbury. Their name comes from the Hartford Whalers, who were a professional ice hockey team based in Connecticut and played in Hartford from 1975 to 1997 before relocating to North Carolina as the Carolina Hurricanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwich Sea Unicorns</span> American minor league baseball team

The Norwich Sea Unicorns are a baseball team located in Norwich, Connecticut. From 2010 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They play their home games at Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium. They were previously known as the Connecticut Tigers from 2010 to 2019. With Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Norwich was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball. Starting with the 2021 season, Norwich plays in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

Professional ice hockey in Connecticut has a rich tradition dating from the mid-1920s. Most of these teams were NHL minor league affiliates located in New Haven, though with the closure of the New Haven Coliseum, minor league affiliates now exist only exist in Hartford and Bridgeport. Hartford had its own Major league team, the Whalers team that existed in Hartford from 1974-97. Independent hockey leagues teams have also been gaining a foothold in Danbury starting in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Thompson (ice hockey, born 1988)</span> American ice hockey player

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcester Railers</span> American minor league hockey team

The Worcester Railers are a professional ice hockey team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. The team began play in the 2017–18 ECHL season, and is a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference of the ECHL. The team plays their home games at the DCU Center and are the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders. The team filled the void left by the AHL's Worcester Sharks, who relocated to San Jose, California, in 2015 to become the San Jose Barracuda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanner Fritz</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Tanner Fritz is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played under contract with HC Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

The 2021–22 AHL season was the 86th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 15, 2021, and ended on April 30, 2022. The regular season was followed by the Calder Cup playoffs, which had not been held since 2019 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The playoffs began on May 2, 2022, and ended on June 25, 2022, with the Chicago Wolves winning their third Calder Cup.

References

  1. "Northern Connecticut" . Retrieved 2022-01-31.