Opening Night Preview: Islanders vs. Bruins
October 12, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - The Bridgeport Islanders begin their 24th AHL season with a 7 p.m. puck drop against the Providence Bruins (0-1-0-0) at Total Mortgage Arena tonight. It's the first time in eight years that Bridgeport has opened its season at home, most recently doing so on Oct. 15, 2016 - also against Providence. The Islanders, who host Charlotte tomorrow afternoon and Hershey on Wednesday night, will begin the regular season with three consecutive home games for the first time since 2015-16.
Watch tonight's game live: AHLTV on FloHockey
Listen to tonight's radio broadcast: Mixlr
BLOCK PARTY AND GIVEAWAYS
In the team's annual tradition, fans will be treated to a pre-game block party on the Total Mortgage Arena Plaza from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. tonight, featuring live music, food, and drinks. Islanders' fans will also have the opportunity to get their hands on new 'Fisherman' merchandise for the very first time. The first 2,500 fans in attendance tonight will receive a Fisherman bucket hat and an LED bracelet when doors open at 6 p.m.
GAME AT A GLANCE
Tonight's game is the first of 12 meetings between the Islanders and Bruins this season, and the first of six in Connecticut. The Bruins will once again be the Islanders' most frequent opponent. Bridgeport was 3-8-1-0 against Providence during the 2023-24 campaign and went 2-4-0-0 in those games at home. Five of their six meetings at Total Mortgage Arena last season were separated by two goals or less.
VIEW FROM PROVIDENCE
Led by fourth-year head coach Ryan Mougenel, the Bruins opened the regular season with a 5-2 loss to the Laval Rocket last night at home. Providence raced out to an early two-goal lead with tallies from Vinni Lettieri (PPG) and Patrick Brown, but Laval stormed back, and outshot the Bruins 39-14 in the contest. Longtime NHL defenseman Jordan Oesterle had two assists in his Bruins debut and Brandon Bussi (0-1-0) made 34 saves. The Bruins racked up 93 points (42-21-6-3) and finished second in the Eastern Conference last season but lost to Hartford in four games in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
OPENING NIGHT ROSTER
Bridgeport begins the regular season with 25 players on its active roster, featuring 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and 3 goaltenders. Sixteen players have previously dressed for the club, while the other nine have an opportunity to make their Bridgeport debuts tonight. Among those debuts could be rookie defensemen and New York Islanders' draft picks Calle Odelius (2nd round, 2022) and Isaiah George (4th round, 2022), as well as veteran forward Pierre Engvall, who played 318 NHL games over the past five seasons. Bridgeport's roster features 21 players on an NHL contract, five veterans (Cole Bardreau, Engvall, Hudson Fasching, Chris Terry, Fredrik Karlstrom), and six rookies (George, Alex Jefferies, Odelius, Cam Thiesing, Henrik Tikkanen, Marshall Warren).
CHRIS TERRY RETURNS TO TOWN
Veteran forward and five-time AHL All-Star Chris Terry returns to Bridgeport on an AHL contract that he signed Oct. 1st. The 34-year-old enters his 16th professional season and is coming off his 11th AHL season of at least 50 points, finishing second on the Chicago Wolves in scoring while serving as team captain. Terry recorded 139 points (57g, 82a) in 128 games during his first two seasons with Bridgeport (2021-23) and holds the franchise record for most points (78) and assists (51) in a single season, which he earned in 2022-23 (67 games). Terry enters the 2024-25 campaign tied for 17th all-time in AHL goals (311), tied for 23rd in points (741), 26th in assists (430), and 38th in games played (815).
QUICK HITS
Bridgeport went 14-16-4-2 at Total Mortgage Arena last season... Nearly half of their games overall last season were separated by a single goal (16-10-7-2 in 35 one-goal decisions), second in the AHL to Rochester... The Islanders begin the regular season with 18 straight games against Atlantic Division opponents... Bridgeport will face every Eastern Conference team except the Cleveland Monsters this season.
AFFILIATES
New York Islanders (0-0-1): Last: 5-4 OTL vs. Utah, Thursday -- Tonight at Dallas, 8 p.m. ET
Worcester Railers (0-0-0-0): Season opener is Saturday, Oct. 19 vs. Reading, 6:05 p.m. ET
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from October 12, 2024
- Iowa Falls to Manitoba 6-4 in Wild Season Opener - Iowa Wild
- Phantoms Score Wild Shootout Win on Opening Night - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Amerks Take Down Comets for First Win of the Season - Rochester Americans
- Moose Top Wild, 6-4 - Manitoba Moose
- O'Reilly Paces Ads to Season's First Win - Milwaukee Admirals
- B-Sens Take a Point in Thrilling Shootout in Syracuse - Belleville Senators
- Fitzgerald Ties Game Late, But Wolf Pack Fall to Phantoms in Shootout Thriller - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Syracuse Crunch Defeat Belleville Senators, 2-1, in Shootout - Syracuse Crunch
- Bears Scare Monsters on Opening Night, 7-3 - Hershey Bears
- Wolves Fall to Admirals 4-1 in Season Opener - Chicago Wolves
- Dvorsky Pots Two Points as T-Birds Top Rocket on Opening Night - Springfield Thunderbirds
- P-Bruins Hold on for Win Over Bridgeport - Providence Bruins
- McDonough's Hat Trick Powers Checkers' Season-Opening Win - Charlotte Checkers
- Game #2: Tucson Roadrunners (0-1-0-0) at Colorado Eagles (1-0-0-0) - Tucson Roadrunners
- Bruins Edge Islanders, 3-2 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Monsters Come up Short in Season Opener After 7-3 Loss to Bears - Cleveland Monsters
- Penguins Outdueled on Opening Night, Lose 7-6 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Comets Drop Contest to Americans, 4-1 - Utica Comets
- Bryan Bickell to be Inducted into IceHogs Ring of Honor - Rockford IceHogs
- San Jose Barracuda Announce Broadcast Schedule for 2024-25 Season - San Jose Barracuda
- Game #2: Tucson Roadrunners at Colorado Eagles - Tucson Roadrunners
- Morning Skate Report: October 12, 2024 - Henderson Silver Knights
- Brett Seney Named IceHogs Team Captain - Rockford IceHogs
- Monsters Announce 2024-25 Leadership Group - Cleveland Monsters
- Opening Night Game Preview: Bears vs. Monsters, 7 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Game Preview: Iowa Wild vs. Manitoba Moose - Iowa Wild
- Wolf Pack Visit Phantoms to Open 2024-25 Season - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Justin Holl Recalled, Carter Gylander Reassigned - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Opening Night Preview: Islanders vs. Bruins - Bridgeport Islanders
- IceHogs Host Division Rival to Open the 2024-25 Season - Rockford IceHogs
- Roadrunners Drop Season Opener Against Colorado - Tucson Roadrunners
- Condors edge Firebirds, 2-1 - Bakersfield Condors
- Cossa Earns 3-0 Shutout Against Milwaukee to Open Season - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Wranglers Fall to Canucks 4-3 - Calgary Wranglers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
