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After years without professional hockey in Hamilton, the wait is almost over.
The Hamilton Hammers will play their first regular-season home game Friday night, hosting the Toronto Marlies at TD Coliseum in its inaugural season. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
For Brandon Scanlin, the game carries an extra level of meaning.
The 26-year-old defenceman grew up on Hamilton’s West Mountain, attended Westmount Secondary School and played minor hockey in the city.
Now he’s back home as a professional.
“It’s a very exciting moment,” Scanlin said. “I love the city. I love the people in this city, and to be able to represent the city is something that’s pretty special to me.”
Scanlin said his family was thrilled when he told them he was coming home.
“When I broke the news to my mom, she almost started crying,” he said.
Brandon Scanlin says he will have friends and family at the home opener on Friday. (Vince Neil Media)
Friday’s game will give the people who have supported him throughout his career a chance to finally see him play professionally in his hometown, he said.
Scanlin has already been showing his teammates his favourite spots in Hamilton.
“We got a lot of great food here,” he said, citing Plank Restobar, The Mule and Chicago Style Pizza on the Mountain as his favourites.
But the biggest attraction for him is the opportunity to play hockey in a city he considers a hockey town.
Hamilton previously had the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, who won a Calder Cup in 2007, before the city later became home to an OHL franchise.
“I think the city’s definitely hungry for hockey,” Scanlin said. “It’s a big hockey town and we love it here.”
The return of professional hockey
The Hammers’ arrival comes after the AHL’s board of governors unanimously approved the Bridgeport Islanders’ move to Hamilton in March. The team is owned by the New York Islanders and Oak View Group, whose investors include Hamilton native and NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
For Kashawn Aitcheson, Friday will be his first experience playing for the Hamilton crowd instead of playing against it.
The Scarborough-born defenceman faced Hamilton’s former OHL team several times and remembers how difficult the atmosphere could be for visiting players.
“They had great fans here,” Aitcheson said. “It always got rowdy. Hard to play against in this barn.”
Now, he’s looking forward to having their support.
“Definitely excited to have these fans on my side.”
Aitcheson described himself as a physical, two-way defenceman who likes to play an aggressive game and create attacking opportunities.
Hamilton Hammers celebrating their first win against the Belleville Senators on October 2, 2026. (Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography)
He said he really likes the Hammers’ inaugural roster, which includes veterans and high-end prospects.
The team is entering its first season as the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, part of a league designed to develop players for NHL organizations.
And while players know their time in the AHL can sometimes end abruptly, with moves to other leagues occuring throughout the season, Aitcheson said he’s focused on the team in front of him.
“You’re Hamilton Hammer for now,” he said. “Wherever you are, you want to win games, and that’s the whole goal.”
The Hammers will play 36 regular-season home games at TD Coliseum this season. Their home opener Friday against Toronto will be followed by another game against the Marlies on Sunday.
For Scanlin, stepping onto the ice Friday will come with some nerves, but mostly excitement.
“I can’t wait to see what it looks like in here,” he said.
He believes the team’s name fits its new home.
The “Hammer” represents Hamilton’s blue-collar identity, he said.
“We work for everything we have,” Scanlin said. “We’re definitely a blue-collar, gritty, hardworking bunch here, but we take pride in what we do. So, I think Hammer is the perfect name for us.”
And as Hamilton prepares to welcome professional hockey back to the city, Scanlin has a simple message for the fans who have been waiting.
“We’re ready to have you in the building,” he said. “We can’t wait to produce something for you guys.”