NY Islanders AHL affiliate historically bad at home this season in Bridgeport

The Bridgeport Islanders are having a wretched season.

The New York Islanders AHL affiliate has a league-low 35 points this season, 14 points fewer than the second-worst team, the Manitoba Mosse, with 49. If you follow the team on social media, a Bridgeport game is usually accompanied by updates of 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, etc., as the opposing team jumps out to an early, often insurmountable lead.

As bad as we know it is, sometimes you need some statistics to hit home, especially at home at Total Mortgage Arena, just how historically bad this team has been all season under head coach Rick Kowalsky. The latest home loss coming Wednesday night, 4-1 to the Hershey Bears.

According to reporter Michael Fornabaio, Bridgeport, with a record of 4-23-1-3 at home, has a chance to post the lowest AHL winning percentage of all-time with five home games left to play this season. The team’s current home win percentage sits at .194%, just a tick above a 1946-47 Philadelphia team that finished 3-24-5, for a winning percentage of .172%. The best winning percentage Bridgeport can finish with is .306, which would still be among the lowest ever.

The interesting thing about Bridgeport this season is that you can't point to their of success in the AHL being a hindrance to the NHL team. Whether it's been Isaiah George and Grant Hutton or Marc Gatcomb, when injuries or other roster decisions have forced a call-up, the individual players have been ready and able to step in a provide a boost to the team.

It ties back to something Kowalsky said when he was hired in 2023 about valuing individual development over wins and losses at the AHL level. “As a coach, sometimes you focus so much on trying to win hockey games and how the team is playing within their structure,” Kowalsky said in Newsday. “[The last five years] gave me some insight into that and I think I really grew as a coach. You’re in a little bit more of a development role as well with individual relationships with players.”

GM Lou Lamoriello and his son Chris are ultimately in charge of Kowalsky’s fate, and we'll find out over the summer whether that philosophy is what they see on display in Bridgeport or just historically bad hockey. It may be fine for the developmental plan for players, but the fans paying to watch this team at home have suffered to historic proportions all season long.