The ECHL announced May 1 that the league’s board of governors has approved the expansion application of Rio Rancho, N.M., for admittance into the league.

The club will begin play in the 2026-27 season.
 
REV Entertainment’s Sports Management division will oversee all team operations. The Dallas Stars will serve as hockey operations consultants to REV Entertainment for the launch of the team. REV currently operates two teams in the American Association of Professional Baseball – the Cleburne Railroaders and Kane County Cougars – and previously served as a managing partner for the ECHL’s Allen Americans.
 
The team’s official name will be determined through a “Name the Team” contest, now open to fans at NMProHockey.com.
 
“It is with great pleasure that the league welcomes REV Entertainment, and the New Mexico region, to the ECHL as our 31st member team, as we progress the growth of the League to align with the National Hockey League and American Hockey League,” said ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin. “REV has a proven track record of managing professional sports teams at the highest level, and 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.”
 
“Today marks a significant milestone for REV Entertainment and the ECHL,” added REV Entertainment president Sean Decker. “We are incredibly excited to bring professional hockey back to New Mexico and to expand the ECHL’s footprint with the league’s 31st member. The Rio Rancho community has a rich history with the sport, and we look forward to building a team that will be a source of pride for fans across the region. We can’t wait to drop the puck in 2026.”
 
The New Mexico Professional Hockey Club will begin play in the 2026-27 season at the Rio Rancho Events Center, a 7,000-seat arena located less than 30 miles from Albuquerque. The arena previously hosted the Central Hockey League’s New Mexico Scorpions from 2006-09 and the North American Hockey League’s New Mexico Mustangs from 2010-12. The venue continues to host sporting events, concerts, and other live entertainment.

Photo/ECHL.com

— ECHL Staff

(May 3, 2025)