Additional info here
News release from Mayor’s Office:
The City of Bridgeport confirmed today that the New York Islanders will be moving their hockey team from the Total Mortgage Arena at the end of their 25th season this spring. Bridgeport’s Arena facility has been one of Connecticut’s premier entertainment venues and has served as the home for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and more recently the Bridgeport Islanders hockey teams.
Originally known as the “Arena at Harbor Yard,” the venue opened October 10, 2001, as part of Bridgeport’s waterfront revitalization effort. Designed as a modern multi-purpose arena capable of hosting sports, concerts, and large-scale entertainment, the facility represented a major public investment in Connecticut’s tourism and entertainment infrastructure and helped position Bridgeport as a destination for visitors and regional events. Now known as “Total Mortgage Arena,” the facility has seating capacity for up to 10,000 for concerts and more than 8,000 for hockey, making it one of the largest indoor venues in the region.
Over the past two decades, the arena has hosted a wide range of events, from family attractions such as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Monster Jam to major concert performances by artists including Bruce Springsteen and Elton John.
“We thank the New York Islanders and Oak View Group for bringing sports fans and concert goers to Bridgeport for more than two decades. Bridgeport has earned the reputation as the ‘Arts and Entertainment Capital of Connecticut,’ and the Arena has been a major part of that story,” said Mayor Joe Ganim. “I am committed to working with our state partners on a public process that will reimagine what this facility can be, and how we can continue to foster Bridgeport’s arts and entertainment identity.”
At this time, no specific plans have been announced regarding when the public process will begin. However, City leaders have begun to engage stakeholders at various levels of government and are committed to working together to determine a new future for the facility. All stakeholders are committed to ensuring that the Arena remains open, enhances the economic vitality of Bridgeport, and contributes to the arts and culture of our city and the region.
More information about next steps for a public process will be forthcoming as details are available.
