TRENTON — Professional ice hockey is back in the capital city.
Beginning in the 2026-27 season, the ECHL will once again call Trenton home after Pro Hockey Partners LLC purchased the Utah Grizzlies and the league’s Board of Governors approved relocation of the franchise to Mercer County.
The league and ownership group announced the move on Tuesday afternoon on the floor of CURE Insurance Arena where the team will play its home games. The team’s name will be determined through a fan vote.
“I could not be more excited to welcome professional hockey back to Trenton,” Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said. “This is another major step in our mission to make Mercer County, and especially our capital city of Trenton, a true destination for sports, business, entertainment, and tourism. I can’t wait for our new hockey team to drop the puck for its first season.”
Benson said he was first approached by Bob Ohrablo, a veteran minor league hockey executive with Pro Hockey LLC, about a year and a half ago with the idea of bringing an ECHL team back to Trenton. The ECHL was in Trenton from 1999-2013 as the Trenton Titans, Trenton Devils, and back to the Trenton Titans before that final iteration of the team folded operations after the 2012-13 season. The Trenton Titans twice appeared in the Kelly Cup and won it all in 2005.
The county then worked to bring Joe Eng on board as the majority owner. A New Jersey native and alumnus of Rutgers University and NYU, Eng is a member of the executive team at Lawrenceville-located Billtrust and owns baseball teams in the Frontier League (Mississippi Mud Monsters) and American Association (Gary Southshore RailCats).
“Our ownership group, this is very personal for us,” Eng said. “Many of us live here, many of us work here. It’s very personal to me. I remember being here with my mom at the Quakerbridge Mall where she was running a small business not too far away from here. Bob and I, and the rest of the ownership group, feel very thankful to be welcome here, and we take this very seriously in the trust you’ve given us.
“This is more than just bringing sports into the CURE Insurance Arena. It’s contributing to more economic development, quality of life in Trenton, Mercer County, and the other surrounding communities. This is very important for us to be part of. I ask you to hold us accountable to that as we look to work with you on this.”
Arena upgrades are in the works to accommodate an ECHL outfit, Mercer County Improvement Authority executive Anthony Verrelli said. That includes new ice, safety boards and glass around the rink and fan hospitality.
The Shrewsbury-headquartered ECHL was formed in 1988 with five teams in four states and has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province. Benson said the ownership group initially targeted an expansion franchise — those were eventually awarded to Rio Rancho, New Mexico and Augusta, Georgia — and then pivoted to the Utah Grizzlies when the club went up for sale after the death of its former owner in 2023 and the declining health of its co-owner.
The soon-to-be-Trenton team will play this coming season in Utah before making the move.
“There is this vision here where Trenton is not only great for hockey at the CURE Arena but the area is ripe for redevelopment and bringing more investment into our capital region,” Benson said. “The time is just right. We worked over the past year and a half and brought it home.”
The ECHL (equivalent to Double-A baseball with the AHL serving as Triple-A) had affiliations with 29 of the 32 NHL clubs in 2024-25. Commissioner Ryan Crelin said the goal is to have all of the league’s teams affiliated. The Utah Grizzlies are a Colorado Avalanche affiliate, but Crelin said it hasn’t been determined yet if Trenton will remain with Colorado, affiliate with another NHL team, or be independent when it begins play in 2026.
“You’ve seen a realignment in general where NHL and AHL clubs are looking for their affiliates to be more geographically located, but that’s not guaranteed,” said Crelin, a Monmouth County native. “Some affiliations may have a couple years on them, but I would imagine something more local will manifest over time. As it sits now, it’s Colorado, but my gut is that will change.”
What is certain is professional hockey will be played here in 2026. It’s another step in what Benson believes is the revitalization of New Jersey’s capital region. The county has already invested $25 million into renovations of Trenton Thunder Ballpark to try and attract a Major League Baseball affiliate — Benson said Tuesday he hopes that happens within the next two years — and has begun a project for new sidewalks and lighting to South Broad Street.
“This is another downpayment like the investments we are making at Trenton Thunder and the work we are doing along South Broad Street,” he said. “When we put that vision out there people are calling in and saying ‘yes, we want to be a part of that.’”
Leave it to Mayor Reed Gusciora for the line of the day: “We look forward to our Trenton Makes bridge lighting up to say … Trenton Skates!”
