The New York Islanders are expanding their developmental footprint in the Tri-State area. On Thursday morning, the organization officially announced a multi-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL's Trenton Ironhawks, which will take effect at the start of the 2026-27 season.
The Ironhawks will also serve as an affiliate of the Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate in Hamilton, Ont.
Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said the team is excited to partner with the nearby team.
“We are excited to partner with Trenton as our new ECHL affiliate and bring professional hockey back to New Jersey’s capital city,” Darche said in a release. “Trenton has a great organization, led by Bob Ohrablo, and has set a platform for our prospects to develop both on and off the ice. We’ve had several members of the current and past Islanders teams play games in the ECHL and look forward to continuing that trend in Trenton.”
The Ironhawks are relocating to the Garden State from West Valley City, Utah, where the team was known as the Utah Grizzlies from 2005 through this past season.
The Ironhawks will be the first professional team in Trenton, N.J. since the Titans (also known as the Devils for two seasons) were in the ECHL from 1999 to 2013. The team made it to the Kelly Cup Finals twice, winning it all in 2005.