LAKE TAHOE (KTNV) — Another professional hockey organization is coming to Nevada.
On Monday, the ECHL's Board of Governors approved the expansion application for Lake Tahoe to field a team. The team will be owned by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and David Hodges, the CEO of Hodges Management Group, LLC.
The team will play at the Tahoe Blue Event Center, a 4,200-seat arena that is expected to begin operations later this month. The arena is located in Stateline, Nevada.
"The ECHL proudly welcomes the 29th Member Team to the League in the brand-new Tahoe Blue Event Center, expanding our geography in the western part of the continent," said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin. "This new team will offer the only professional sports action in the region, giving locals a hometown team and fast-paced entertainment with a commitment to giving back and growing the game of hockey in the community."
The team will be named at a later date. However, they're asking fans to help pick a name. They're accepting submissions by August 4. Submissions also enter fans into a drawing to win an in-game experience during the 2024-2025 season and an autographed jersey.
The team is expected to start playing in the 2024-2025 season.
#ECHL Board of Governors approves Expansion Membership for Lake Tahoe to begin play in 2024-25 Seasonhttps://t.co/NpJJxFsx6F
— ECHL (@ECHL) July 10, 2023
The ECHL already has affiliations with 28 of the 32 NHL teams. For example, the Vegas Golden Knights ECHL affiliate is the Savannah Ghost Pirates.
The only teams without an ECHL affiliate is the Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets. According to the league's website, the Jacksonville Icemen also don't have an NHL affiliate yet.
You can see the full list of affiliations here.
