Professional ice hockey is returning to Trenton, N.J., as the ECHL announced on Tuesday that the league’s board of governors has approved the transfers of controlling interest and home territory in the Utah Grizzlies membership from Grizzlies Hockey Club, LLC to Pro Hockey Partners, LLC, who will relocate the team to Trenton at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
 
The yet-to-be-renamed Trenton Hockey Club will make its debut at CURE Insurance Arena for the 2026-27 season.
 
“The return of ECHL hockey to Trenton is extremely exciting as we welcome the market back to our North Division for the 2026-27 season amidst new teams and rivalries in the region,” said ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin. “The original ECHL team served as a catalyst to the opening of CURE Insurance Arena back in 1999 and growing the hockey community in New Jersey, and we look forward to reinvigorating the live entertainment experience in the marketplace with an ownership and operating group that is experienced in developmental league sports.
 
“On behalf of the League and myself, I would like to personally thank the Elmore family, the late Kevin Bruder, Jill Roberts and the entire Grizzlies staff, for their commitment to the ECHL and the Utah fanbase for over 20 years in the league, as we are saddened by the unfortunate set of circumstances that will not allow them to be able to continue to entertain their fans and be a part of that community after the 2025-26 season.”
 
“We are thrilled to reintroduce the ECHL to Trenton and Mercer County, a region known for its strong hockey culture and passion for the sport,” said Bob Ohrablo, president of Pro Hockey Partners, LLC and Trenton ECHL Hockey. “The ECHL/Trenton Hockey Club will attract hundreds of thousands of fans to the CURE Insurance Arena and Downtown Trenton each season.  This presents an opportunity for families to enjoy exciting pro hockey nights at affordable prices, along with a variety of family-friendly promotions throughout the season.”
 
“I could not be more excited to welcome professional hockey back to Trenton,” added Mercer County executive Dan Benson. “I want to thank Joe Eng, Bob Ohrablo, the ECHL, Mercer County Improvement Authority and the CURE Arena Team for working with us through months of planning and negotiation to make this dream a reality. 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.”
 
The 7,000-seat CURE Insurance Arena previously was home to the ECHL’s Titans and Devils from 1999-2013. The Trenton Titans twice reached the Kelly Cup Finals, falling to South Carolina in 2001 and capturing their only championship in 2005, defeating Florida in six games. The arena was also home to the 2002 ECHL All-Star Classic.
 
“The CURE Insurance Arena is excited to welcome pro hockey back to Trenton,” said Fran Rodowicz, CURE Insurance Arena general manager. “Twenty years ago, we proudly hosted the 2005 ECHL Kelly Cup championship season with incredible support from our fans and the community. As hockey returns, we are eager to revive that same energy in the arena and throughout Trenton. We are making some exciting upgrades to the venue in preparation for the team’s arrival, and we look forward to showcasing our newly refreshed spaces.  Hockey will once again play a prominent role among the many diverse and dynamic events we host each year, and we can’t wait to drop the puck.”

— ECHL Staff

(September 9, 2025)