New expansion hockey team officially coming to Carolina
The ECHL announced on Friday that its newest expansion team will be heading to North Carolina a state already home to NHL's Carolina Hurricanes & AHL's Charlotte Checkers.
This marks the return of the ECHL to the state with the league adding its 30th team.
Greensboro has a strong hockey history, previously hosting ECHL teams like the Monarchs (1989-1995) and the Generals (1999-2004). The Carolina Monarchs of the AHL also played in Greensboro from 1995-1997, and the Carolina Hurricanes called the city home from 1997-1999 before moving to Raleigh.
The new team will begin playing in the 2025-26 season at the First Horizon Coliseum (formerly Greensboro Coliseum), which also hosts the NBA G-League's Greensboro Swarm, ACC basketball tournaments, NCAA events, and concerts.
The franchise will be owned & operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment which already owns three other ECHL teams (Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates & Tahoe Knight Monsters) & an AHL team (Charlotte Checkers).
The Carolina Hurricanes currently do not have an ECHL affiliate but work with the Bloomington Bison, affiliated with the New York Rangers. This new expansion might open the door for a future partnership in the state. Other NHL teams without ECHL affiliates include the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators.
