Trenton, New Jersey, will again be home to a minor league hockey team. But they need your help with a name
Trenton is bringing professional ice hockey back to the Garden State capital ahead of the 2026-2027 season.
A new team will play in the ECHL, a minor professional ice hockey league, starting in 2026, and feature players hoping to eventually reach the NHL.
Officials with ECHL, Mercer County, New Jersey, and the CURE Insurance Arena made the big announcement Tuesday morning.
"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."
The new Trenton team will play at the CURE Insurance Arena, located in the state's capital, which seats 7,000 people. Before this, the CURE Insurance Arena was home to the ECHL's Titans and Devils from 1999 to 2013. The arena also hosted the 2002 ECHL All-Star Classic.
"I think it's one of hockey's best-kept secrets," ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said about the hockey culture in the Garden State.
While the arena stands might be empty now, the team says it's already scored its first season ticket holder.
"With the addition of Trenton hockey and 36 home games each season, we will increase total events to over 125 events a year, bringing more than 300,000 people to the city of Trenton," Fran Rodowicz, general manager of CURE Insurance Arena and Oak View Group, said.
Central Jersey was last home to the Trenton Titans in 2013. The excitement around hockey, leaders say, never really went away.
"Trenton's been on the radar for a while. Again, now that it's been 12-13 years, that break has sustained itself, and the city really wanted to get professional hockey back here and put that infrastructure in," Crelin said.
Ohrablo, a native of the Tri-State area, has started other ECHL teams, including the Jacksonville Iceman and Savannah Ghost Pirates.
"I don't know why people haven't done this before, and I'm glad they didn't because we're doing it," Ohrablo said.
Meanwhile, the team will also work on completing infrastructure upgrades, such as a new ice system and installing dasher boards and glass around the rink.
"It's bringing people into this area, it's also making them see that hey, there's some restaurants around here, there's other stores that people can stop in," Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said.
The Mercer County native said the return of a team is a big part in building up this area as a "sports history and entertainment district."
"We expect in two years to continue to be making announcements. We're already starting a stakeholder process for new streetscaping, more bike and pedestrian paths, new trees and lights along this whole stretch from Cass Street to Center Street," Benson said. "Really making this a gateway into the city of Trenton and making it a place where people will come, spend time, and hopefully spend their money, as well."
Trenton makes, now the hockey world takes. First puck drops in October 2026.
Help name the Trenton Hockey Club
Here's the really fun part: Fans can enter an online contest to help name the Trenton Hockey Club.
Those who participate are asked to consider what makes Trenton and its surrounding area unique and fun.
Then, one lucky fan who submits a name suggestion will be chosen to win a pair of full-season memberships to the hockey club's first year.
"I want this team to be everyone's team. Come and support it, enjoy it, have fun," Ohrablo said.