AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers honor Sandy Hook Victims
On Saturday nigh,t the Bridgeport Sound Tigers played the first of seven games during which they will wear special jerseys honoring the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School earlier this month. The Sound Tigers, the AHL Affiliate of the New York Islanders, play only 20 miles from Newtown, Conn.
The team offered free tickets to Newtown residents for Saturday night’s game and will continue to give Newtown residents free tickets for Bridgeport home games on Dec. 26 and 29.
On Saturday Each player swapped their own name for the last name of a fallen child on the back of their jersey, and the names of the six teachers and administrators killed were displayed on the scoreboard throughout the game. There was also a moment of silence to honor and remember the victims before the game began.
For Sound Tigers captain, Colin McDonald, who comes from Whethersfield, CT, the tragedy hit especially close to home.
“You never think this would happen to us, but sure enough it did. I think everyone’s having a tough time with it,” McDonald said. “Especially with it being so close to the holidays, it’s just very, very tough. There’s so much that the team, my family and I want to do, but what can you do?”
The Sound Tigers ended up losing, 3-2, to the Adirondack Phantoms, but that was not the most important thing on the ice Saturday. Head coach Scott Pellerin said that his team did a great job of honoring the victims.
“Obviously the whole evening was very emotional, it was a way of us doing a little something to support the families and the city of Newtown. It was tough. The players did a great job representing the community and playing hard for them.”
