Meet the Trenton Ironhawks, the ECHL's newest franchise to begin play in 2026-27
Trenton's new minor league hockey team officially has a name and logo. Meet the Trenton Ironhawks, the ECHL's newest franchise that will begin play in the 2026-27 season.
Mercer County Executive Dan Benson and Team President Bob Ohrablo made the announcement Tuesday morning on the floor inside the CURE Insurance Arena, where the Ironhawks will play.
"Trenton has been a city that understands strength, grit, resilience," Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said, "and that's why the name Trenton Ironhawks feels so right."
The team's name was chosen through a fan contest. More than 2,000 entries were submitted.
Joel Perez and Jim Miller have been named co-winners, and they walked away with season tickets for the inaugural season.
"It's very exciting, I'm glad to have hockey back here," Miller said. "I used to come to the old Trenton Titan games, so I'm excited to come back to these games."
The Trenton Titans left the city more than a decade ago. Last year, it was announced that the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies had been sold, and the team will move and change its name at the end of the current season.
"We'll have a good roster of players to start with," Ohrablo said, "and then we'll also find an NHL partner to supply other players to, and that will probably be around March when we have an NHL partner come in."
More than 750 fans have already locked in season tickets and claimed their spot inside the arena. Both city and county leaders believe this team will be part of the revitalization of Trenton.
"While the name Ironhawks evokes Trenton's proud past as an industrial powerhouse, this team will play an important role in shaping a Trenton renaissance," Benson said, "Bringing new economic activity, creating jobs, and igniting business opportunities right here in our community."
"We're just lucky that we can bring 5,000, 6,000, 7,000 people down here a game, and downtown grows from there," Ohrablo said.
Thirty-five home games are scheduled for the inaugural season, which will begin in October.
Fans who were in attendance for Tuesday's big reveal also had the chance to get their hands on new merchandise — T-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts featuring the new name and logo.
"I took off from work to come because I didn't want them to sell out of merchandise," Phillip Altovelli, who also locked in season tickets, said.