The Avalanche have a new ECHL affiliate. Following an eight-year affiliation with the Utah Grizzlies, the Avs will join forces with the ECHL’s newest team, the New Mexico Goatheads, starting in 2026-27.
The Grizzlies recently announced they’re relocating to New Jersey.
The Avs have spent years focusing on building strong relationships with their affiliate teams. That became a focal point of their franchise development under Joe Sakic’s leadership.
They often sent players to affiliations farther from Colorado, with the most recent examples in Cleveland and San Antonio. But in 2018-19, the Colorado Eagles franchise elevated from the ECHL to the AHL and became the Avs’ main affiliate.
That was the same year Utah joined the ECHL as an affiliate of the Eagles.
Click Here to learn more about the New Mexico Goatheads.
