Utah Hockey Club enters into affiliation agreement with ECHL’s Allen Americans

The Utah Hockey Club has its first-ever ECHL affiliate.

On Wednesday, Utah HC officially announced that it has entered into a one-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Allen Americans for the 2024-25 season.

The Utah franchise also remains affiliated with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, which are owned and operated by former Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo. The Coyotes did not have an ECHL affiliate under Meruelo in their final season before they relocated to Utah earlier this year.

“The Americans are a first-class organization with a passionate fan base and a reputation of winning,” Utah assistant general manager and Tucson GM John Ferguson Jr. said in a media release on Wednesday. “We look forward to working with Americans Ownership, Myles and La Sonjia Jack, this season.”

The Americans have played out of the 6,275-seat Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen, Texas since 2009. The team was founded that year as a member of the Central Hockey League before moving into the ECHL in 2014 and winning League championships in 2015 and 2016.

Among Allen’s rivals in the ECHL’s Mountain Division are the Utah Grizzlies, who play out of the 10,100-seat Maverik Center in West Valley City. The Grizzlies, who are currently the ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, will face off against the Americans eight times during the 2024-25 regular season.

Before teaming up with Utah this summer, the Americans were most recently affiliated with the Ottawa Senators organization. The list of players who have advanced from Allen to the NHL includes Jordie Benn, Alec Martinez, and Aaron Dell.

Under the management of Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, Utah HC will begin its first-ever season playing at the Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City this fall. Their preseason schedule includes one game against the Avalanche at ECHL Utah’s rink on October 5.