Attempts to form an ECHL expansion team in Rio Rancho by a different ownership group were first reported in 2022 with intent to play in 2023, which never materialized.[3][4] In May 2025, the ECHL announced that it would be awarding an expansion franchise to the city of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, marking the return of professional hockey to the state. The team, temporarily known as the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club, is set to begin play during the 2026–27 ECHL season. The team is owned and operated by Rev Entertainment, with the Dallas Stars serving as hockey operations consultants. This marks New Mexico's first professional hockey team since the New Mexico Scorpions folded in 2009.[1]
Team name
The team is currently referred to as the "New Mexico Pro Hockey Club," with fan poll results used to determine the permanent name of the team. The three finalists in the poll were the “Cutthroats” (a New Mexico native species of trout), “Goatheads” (a thorny seed shaped like the head of a goat), and “Tarantula Hawks” (a native wasp-like insect that preys on tarantulas)[5]. The poll closed on July 2, 2025 and the permanent team name is expected to be announced during their brand reveal scheduled for September 29, 2025 at 5:30 PM MDT.[6]
Venue
The New Mexico Pro Hockey Club will play their home games at the Rio Rancho Events Center, a multi-purpose venue located in the heart of Rio Rancho. The arena, which has a seating capacity of 7,000, is a central hub for sports and entertainment in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Owned by the City of Rio Rancho and operated by Global Spectrum, the venue has hosted a variety of sports events, including professional hockey in the past.[1]
Affiliations
While the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) will be official consultants in hockey operations and player development, the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club is not expected to be the Stars ECHL affiliate as Dallas recently extended their long-running affiliation with the ECHL Idaho Steelheads through 2027, marking 23 years of affiliation.[7]
The New Mexico Pro Hockey Club will announce its NHL affiliation at a later date. As of the 2025-2026 NHL season, the only two NHL teams without an ECHL affiliate are the Columbus Blue Jackets and Utah Mammoth. Until an affiliation is announced, the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club will operate as an independent ECHL team, maintaining relationships with all teams in the American Hockey League (AHL) for player development and call-ups.
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