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 2023–24 AHL season, 31 of the 32 AHL teams had an official affiliation with an NHL team; immediately following season's end, the Chicago Wolves and Carolina Hurricanes finalized an affiliation agreement, resulting in all AHL teams having an NHL affiliation for the upcoming 2024–25 season. 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> American 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">Steve Stirling</span> Ice hockey player

James Steven Stirling is a scout with the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. He is the former head coach of the American Hockey League's Norfolk Admirals, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Springfield Falcons and the National Hockey League's New York Islanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgeport Islanders</span> American Hockey League team in Bridgeport, Connecticut

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">Trenton Titans</span> American ice hockey club

The Trenton Titans were a professional minor league ice hockey team that played in the ECHL. The team last played in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Titans played their home games at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Established in 1999, the team was owned by Delaware Valley Sports Group LLC, a local ownership group. They were most recently the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms.

<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. It is the home venue of the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League (AHL) and PWHL New York of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).

<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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Three popular American sports were invented in New England. Basketball was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian, in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1895. Paintball was invented in 1981 in Henniker, New Hampshire.

Texas is home of several national sports league franchises among other professional sports, being the second most populated U.S. state. Since the state is located in the South Central United States, most teams are part of the Central / South or West league divisions, with the notable exception of the NFL Dallas Cowboys, which is an NFC East franchise.

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">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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There have been numerous professional baseball teams in Connecticut since the late 1800s. Most have been minor league teams, however, some early major league teams played in Connecticut. The last major league team was the Hartford Dark Blues, which played its final season in Hartford as a charter member of the newly-established modern National League in 1876.

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

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

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References

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