Utah Grizzlies

Last updated
Utah Grizzlies
Utah Grizzlies Logo.svg
City West Valley City, Utah
League ECHL
ConferenceWestern
DivisionMountain
Founded1981 (in the CHL)
Home arena Maverik Center
ColorsGreen, black, copper, white [1]
    
Owner(s)Pro Hockey Partners, LLC
General managerErik Hudson
Head coachJohn Becanic
Media KSOP
FloTv
Affiliates Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
Colorado Eagles (AHL)
Website utahgrizzlies.com
Franchise history
1981–1983 Nashville South Stars
1983–1990 Virginia Lancers
1990–1992 Roanoke Valley Rebels
1992–1993 Roanoke Valley Rampage
1993–1994 Huntsville Blast
1994–2001 Tallahassee Tiger Sharks
2001–2002 Macon Whoopee
2002–2003 Lexington Men O' War
2005–presentUtah Grizzlies
Championships
Division titles1 (2021–22)
Hockey current event.svg Current season

The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play their home games at Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah.

Contents

History

Pre-history

The current Utah Grizzlies franchise started in 1981 as the Nashville South Stars in Nashville, Tennessee, in the Central Hockey League. Henry Brabham then took over the team in 1983 and relocated them to Vinton, Virginia mid-season, to become the Virginia Lancers. Brabham and the Lancers were then one of the founding members of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) in 1988.

The franchise was sold and relocated several times until it went dormant after the 2002–03 season. After the American Hockey League (AHL) incarnation of the Grizzlies suspended operations, David Elmore and Donna Tuttle bought the rights to the dormant ECHL franchise and moved the team to the E Center to replace the previous Grizzlies franchise.

ECHL Grizzlies

Prior to the 2013–14 season, their NHL affiliate Calgary Flames changed their affiliation to the Alaska Aces. Incoming head coach and general manager Tim Branham announced a three-year agreement with the Anaheim Ducks on August 7, 2013. [2] After the Grizzlies made the post-season in every season within the Ducks organization, the Grizzlies and Ducks agreed to a multi-year extension during the 2015–16 season. [3]

Following the 2017–18 season, the Grizzlies missed the post-season for the first time in 11 years. At that time, their ECHL rival, the Colorado Eagles, joined the American Hockey League as an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche after previously serving as the Avalanche affiliate in the ECHL. The Grizzlies ended their agreement with the Ducks and affiliated with the Avalanche, their then-closest geographical NHL club. [4] [5]

Despite the arrival of the NHL in Utah in 2024, with the Utah Mammoth, the Grizzlies and Mammoth aren't currently affiliated.

Relocation to Trenton, New Jersey

On July 23 2025, West Valley City officials announced that they had agreed to a deal to sell the team to Delaware based Pro Hockey Partners, LLC who will relocate the team to a different market for the 2026-27 season which is reportedly the former ECHL market Trenton, New Jersey, playing at the CURE Insurance Arena which is the former home of the Trenton Titans/Trenton Devils. [6] [7]

On September 9, 2025, the Grizzlies confirmed the sale to Pro Hockey Partners, LLC and the relocation to Trenton which will include a new name for the team yet to be finalized. [8]


The market was previously served by:

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL= Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalty infraction minutes

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonGPWLOTLSOLPtsGFGAPIMStandingYear1st round2nd round3rd roundKelly Cup
2005–06 723630517823523617124th of 6, West 2006 L, 0–4, AK ———
2006–07 722242445218429419535th of 5, West 2007 did not qualify
2007–08 723230287423925915954th of 5, West 2008 W, 4–2, FRE W, 4–1, VIC L, 0–4, LV —
2008–09 7228286107222024613724th of 6, West 2009 L, 1–4, AK ———
2009–10 723429457726025312923rd of 4, West 2010 W, 3–2, LV L, 0–4, IDH ——
2010–11 723332437318922716743rd of 4, Mountain 2011 W, 3–1, STK L, 0–4, VIC ——
2011–12 723333067218322315733rd of 4, Mountain 2012 L, 0–3, LV ———
2012–13 722930497121727717414th of 4, Mountain 2013 L, 0–4, ONT ———
2013–14 713824368518717313293rd of 4, Mountain 2014 L, 1–4, BAK ———
2014–15 723727538221321911704th of 7, Pacific 2015 W, 4–2, IDH L, 1–4, ONT ——
2015–16 72392733842232069423rd of 5, West 2016 W, 4–2, COL L, 0–4, FW ——
2016–17 723629527922524013124th of 7, Mountain 2017 L, 1–4, ALN ———
2017–18 722829967123025612126th of 7, Mountain 2018 did not qualify
2018–19 723726458323221812643rd of 7, Mountain 2019 L, 1–4, IDH ———
2019–20 62341774792071648843rd of 7, Mountain2020Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 723526568120721910374th of 7, Western 2021 —L, 0–3, ALN ——
2021–22 72422721872402259591st of 7, Mountain 2022 W, 4–3, TUL W, 4–2, RC L, 1–4, TOL —
2022–23 723533407423025913164th of 7, Mountain 2023 L, 2–4, IDH ———
2023–24 72313650672272647505th of 7, Mountain 2024 did not qualify
2024–25 72253962582262927417th of 8, Mountain 2025 did not qualify

References

  1. ↑ Email response from Communications and Broadcasting VP Adrian Denny: "Copper is the third color."
  2. ↑ "Utah Grizzlies announce affiliation with the Anaheim Ducks". desertnews.com. 2013-08-07. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  3. ↑ "Ducks announce affiliation extension with the Utah Grizzlies". Anaheim Ducks. 2016-01-20. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  4. ↑ "Grizzlies announce affiliation with Avalanche". utahgrizzlies.com. 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  5. ↑ "Avalanche enters in to ECHL partnership with the Utah Grizzlies". Colorado Avalanche. 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
  6. ↑ "West Valley City 'reluctantly' OKs the sale of the Utah Grizzlies. Here's what happens next to the Maverik Center". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
  7. ↑ "West Valley City authorizes sale of Utah Grizzlies, setting up relocation". KSL news.
  8. ↑ "ECHL returning to Trenton with Transfers of Controlling Interest and Home Territory of Utah Membership" . Retrieved 9 September 2025.
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