The Utah Grizzlies announced they were exploring sale and relocation options in June.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Utah Grizzlies host the Rapid City Rush, ECHL hockey at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024.
The Utah Grizzlies might have found a new home.
According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, the ECHL organization plans to relocate to Trenton, New Jersey, following this season.
The Grizzlies will play at CURE Insurance Arena for the 2026-27 season, which was home to the former ECHL team, the Trenton Titans. Fans can expect a formal announcement on Tuesday, followed by a contest to rename the group, Seravalli reported.
The Grizzlies announced in June that they were exploring the potential sale (and relocation) of the team. The organization has been facing a transition in ownership, which was the driving cause for this change.
David Elmore — who created Elmore Sports Group (the Grizzlies’ current owner) — died in June 2023. Elmore’s wife and co-owner, Donna Tuttle, is now facing declining health and it is challenging for the family to remain actively involved in team operations, the team said.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Utah Grizzlies host the Rapid City Rush, ECHL hockey at the Maverik Center in West Valley City on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024.
The Grizzlies will play the 2025-26 season at the Maverik Center before the move, with “full commitment” from players, coaches and staff. West Valley City is a minor shareholder of the franchise and unanimously approved the sale of the Grizzlies to Pro Hockey Partners LLC during a July 23 city council meeting.
The ECHL is a minor professional hockey league that is a level below the American Hockey League — and that is a level below the National Hockey League. The Grizzlies’ NHL affiliate is the Colorado Avalanche. While some fans hoped for a built connection between the Utah Mammoth and Grizzlies, that is not the case.
The Mammoth had a one-year affiliation agreement with the Allen Americans (based in Texas) as their ECHL team last season. The newest NHL franchise will play without an ECHL pipeline this year. This will not have a big impact, as the Mammoth primarily pull players from their AHL team, the Tucson Roadrunners.
While hockey will remain in Utah with the Mammoth, the minor-league level of the sport will skate its final lap this year. The Grizzlies’ last opening night at the Maverik Center is on Oct. 25 at 7:10 p.m. against the Idaho Steelheads.