RIO RANCHO, N.M. — Pro hockey is back in New Mexico. The ECHL is coming to Rio Rancho.

City leaders and team management came together Tuesday to announce the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club as the 31st member to join the ECHL.

“This team will be hyperlocal; we are excited to be a part of that,” said Sean Decker, the president of REV Entertainment. “We are excited to have local ownership.”

Rev Entertainment will oversee the team with the Dallas Stars of the NHL guiding them on a number of operations.

“To get an NHL team to help us guide us on facilities, equipment, players, staffing, all the things that go into that,” Decker said. “They are also going to help us find an affiliate. It is important for me to share with you right now that the Dallas Stars will not be our affiliate here.”

This is part of the league’s western expansion plan. ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin said it’s an important step in expanding professional hockey and creating more affiliates for the NHL, for which the ECHL is a secondary developmental league, one tier below the American Hockey League.

“Listen, anytime you have the opportunity to expand the league it is very exciting,” Crelin said. “Especially western because that has been a focus of ours. But I think it’s just great for hockey in North America and development hockey.”

While the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club turns to the Stars to guide them on operations, they’re turning to New Mexicans for guidance on a name.

“We have a rare chance to shape this team’s identity from the name to the energy in the stands,” said Rio Rancho mayor Greg Hull.

Anyone interested can go to nmprohockey.com and submit their team name ideas. The team will play all their home games at the Rio Rancho Events Center starting in the 2026-27 season.