Pro hockey is coming back to New Mexico; here's what to know about the club starting play next year

Is New Mexico ready for the return of professional hockey?

The question will soon be answered. The New Mexico Pro Hockey Club will drop the puck as an ECHL expansion franchise beginning in the 2026-27 season, club officials confirmed this week.

The New Mexico Pro Hockey Club — team name and mascot to be determined — will play home games at the Rio Rancho Events Center, competing in a Double-A league that serves as a farm system to the NHL and the Triple-A American Hockey League. The ECHL, formerly the East Coast Hockey League, was comprised of 29 teams across the country this season and will add a 30th, the Greensboro Gargoyles, next fall. New Mexico will be team No. 31.

The new club’s ownership group is headed by Texas-based REV Entertainment, a sports and entertainment company that oversees operations for numerous sports venues and franchises, including Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers and the ECHL Allen Americans. New Mexico’s ownership group also includes local investors, REV president Sean Decker said.

New Mexico has been without a pro hockey franchise since 2009 and rumors of a return have persisted in recent years. REV made it official this week. Decker said he’s happy and relieved to finally announce the ECHL’s latest expansion entry.

“We’re incredibly excited,” Decker said in a phone interview. “We actually got league approval last year and it’s been really hard to stay quiet. I kind of feel like the dog that’s been chasing the car forever and finally caught it. It’s time to start hiring staff and getting to work.”

Why bring back hockey?

Rio Rancho and Albuquerque do have a history in professional hockey. The New Mexico Scorpions competed in the Western Professional Hockey League and later the Central Hockey League for two stints between 1996 and 2009 before ceasing operations. The area has since been home to several junior hockey clubs, including the current New Mexico Ice Wolves, who compete in the North American Hockey League and North American Tier III Hockey League — feeder leagues for college hockey and the ECHL.

But Rio Rancho and the Albuquerque metro area has grown 34% (from 729,000 residents in 2009 to a projected 978,000 residents this year) since the Scorpions left town, and Decker believes the time is right for pro hockey to make its return.

“On my first trip to Rio Rancho, I fell in love with it,” he said. “I started looking into it and saw that minor league sports like the Isotopes and United have been successful in that market. I know hockey has also been successful there in the past.”

Such was initially the case for the Scorpions, who averaged more than 4,000 fans for much of their initial stint at Tingley Coliseum. Attendance dropped off when the club moved to Rio Rancho and played in the Central Hockey League, however.

Decker believes circumstances are different .

“Rio Rancho probably wasn’t ready for (pro hockey) at that time,” he said of the Scorpions’ second stint. “With the growth of the region, we feel like it’s ready now. The arena’s getting great numbers for concerts and other events and I think people are comfortable going there. The timing’s never been better.”

The RREC’s capacity for hockey games is about 6,000.

What to know about the ECHL

Joining an established league with NHL ties also figures to help build interest, Decker said. Despite its former name, the ECHL has clubs based as far west as Nevada. The league has been in operation since 1988.

The ECHL’s current Mountain Division includes the Allen Americans, Idaho Steelheads, Kansas City Mavericks, Rapid City Rush, Tahoe Knight Monsters, Tulsa Oilers, Utah Grizzlies and Wichita Thunder. Decker expects New Mexico to be aligned regionally but the ECHL’s divisions could be realigned with two new clubs joining the league.

New Mexico will have official ties with NHL and AHL franchises, Decker said, but those affiliations have not yet been determined.

While pro hockey will be the main attraction, Decker said the new club plans to lean heavily into promotions, theme nights and the kind of family friendly attractions that have helped make the Albuquerque Isotopes and New Mexico United popular. The new club also plans to invest in local youth hockey.

“We feel like there’s a huge opportunity to grow youth hockey in New Mexico,” Decker said, “and we want to be a meaningful part of the state. It’s so important to build a connection with fans and the community and to make coming to games a fun experience. That’s our focus and we really can’t wait to get started.”

Decker and others will be present at a New Mexico Pro Hockey Club news conference Tuesday in Rio Rancho.