ECHL approves expansion into Greensboro, North Carolina; will begin play in 2025-26

The ECHL is continuing its rapid growth.

On Friday, the league announced that the board of governors had approved Greensboro, North Carolina’s expansion application for admittance into the ECHL.

The new membership is set to begin play in 2025-26, giving the league 30 franchises. The team, set to be named later, will play at the First Horizon Coliseum.

“The ECHL is proud to welcome our 30th Member by returning to the Greensboro, North Carolina market,” ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said in a release. “Greensboro holds a special place in the ECHL’s history and growth, and it will be a joyful moment to drop the puck once again in October 2025 and bring professional hockey back to the city for fans to once again cheer for their hometown team.”

Zawyer Sports & Entertainment will own and operate the team. The group already has a heavy hand in minor-league hockey, as it owns and operates the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates and Tahoe Knight Monsters. It also owns the Charlotte Checkers, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Florida Panthers.

“We are very excited for the opportunity to launch an ECHL team in Greensboro,” Zawyer Sports CEO Andy Kaufmann said. “We look forward to turning Tournament Town into Hockey Town with a family-friendly atmosphere that will bring people together from all around the community.”

Greensboro has a long and storied history of hockey, especially in the ECHL. The Greensboro Monarchs played from 1989-95, with a second incarnation of the Generals active from 1999-04. The original Generals played in the old Eastern Hockey League (1959-73) and Southern Hockey League (1973-77). In fact, the ECHL’s original commissioner, Patrick J. Kelly, played in Greensboro from 1959-64.

Greensboro was also the inaugural home for the Carolina Hurricanes when they moved down from Hartford. They played at the old Greensboro Coliseum for two seasons before moving to Raleigh.

The new team in North Carolina highlights the ECHL’s rapid expansion in its pursuit of having an affiliate for every NHL franchise. Since 2021, five teams have begun play in the league, including the Bloomington Bison and Knight Monsters, who are taking to the ice for the first time this season.