ECHL to expand to New Mexico for 2026-27 season

On Friday, the league’s Board of Governors formally approved the expansion application for Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The new franchise has been admitted to the league, with the team scheduled to take to the ice in the 2026-27 season.

The organization will be operated by REV Entertainment’s Sport Management Division, with the Dallas Stars serving as the group’s hockey operations consultants for the beginning of the new team.

“REV has a proven track record of managing professional sports teams at the highest level,” ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said in a release. “We are thrilled with their commitment to bring professional hockey back to the state of New Mexico. This expansion speaks to the growth of our game throughout the continent and will be an exciting addition to our rivalries in the Mountain Division and a geographic fit for Affiliation development.”

REV also operates two teams – the Cleburne Railroaders and Kane County Cougars – in the American Association of Professional Baseball. REV previously served as the managing partner of the ECHL’s Allen Americans.

The team’s name will be decided through name-the-team contest, which is now open to the public at NMProHockey.com.

The addition of a team in New Mexico will give the ECHL 31 teams in two seasons’ time. This year, the league introduced the Tahoe Knight Monsters (Vegas Golden Knights) and Bloomington Bison (New York Rangers). Next season, the Greensboro Gargoyles will begin play. The league has been very transparent in its hopes of having an ECHL affiliate for all 32 NHL franchises.

While an NHL affiliation has yet to be announced, one could presume that the Stars might be a solid fit geographically. However, with the proximity to Arizona and Utah, the Utah Hockey Club could also be a candidate to partner with the new team. Currently, Dallas’ Double-A affiliate is the Idaho Steelheads, while Utah is partnered with Allen. Both team’s affiliation contracts are set to expire after this season.

Currently, 29 NHL teams have affiliations with ECHL clubs, with the Carolina Hurricanes sharing custody of the Bison with the Rangers. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators don’t have ECHL affiliates.

This isn’t the first professional hockey team to have called Rio Ranco home. While the state of New Mexico has a history of junior hockey, the second rendition of the New Mexico Scorpions played in the Central Hockey League from 2006-09. The original Scoprions franchise was based in Albuquerque, and it played in the CHL and Western Professional Hockey League from 1996 to 2005.

The New Mexico Pro Hockey Club will play at the 7,000-set Rio Ranco Events Center, less than 30 miles north of Albuquerque.