ECHL releases 2025-26 schedule

The ECHL announced on Thursday that the 2025-26 season opens with eight games on Friday, Oct. 17 and continues with 13 games on Saturday, Oct. 18 with Opening Weekend concluding with seven games on Sunday, Oct. 19.
 
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league that will have 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province playing 1,080 games from Oct. 17, 2025 to April 12, 2026. It marks the most games in the League since 31 teams played 1,116 games during the 2003-04 season.

Download the 2025-26 ECHL schedule
 
Download Team-by-Team schedules
 
The ECHL’s 30th Member, the Greensboro Gargoyles, bring professional hockey back to the First Horizon Coliseum for the first time in over 20 years when they open their home schedule on Saturday, Oct. 18 against Jacksonville.
 
Opening Night on Friday, Oct. 17 features Greenville entertaining Utah, Indy welcoming Fort Wayne, Iowa hosting Tulsa, Kansas City taking on Rapid City, Orlando entertaining Florida, Savannah welcoming Norfolk, Tahoe hosting Idaho and Trois-Rivières taking on Reading.
 
In addition to Greensboro, eight other teams open their home schedule on Saturday, Oct. 18 with Atlanta hosting Utah, Bloomington welcoming Iowa, Cincinnati entertaining Wheeling, Florida taking on Orlando, Kalamazoo hosting Fort Wayne, South Carolina entertaining Norfolk, Wichita welcoming Allen and Worcester taking on Maine.
 
Opening weekend concludes on Sunday, Oct. 19 with Maine hosting Reading in its home-opening contest.
 
Friday, Oct. 24 sees five teams open the home portion of the schedule with Allen entertaining Kansas City, Idaho welcoming Utah, Norfolk hosting Worcester, Rapid City taking on Wichita and Tulsa hosting Tahoe.
 
There are two home openers slated for Saturday, Oct. 25 as Adirondack welcomes Trois-Rivières and Utah hosts Idaho.
 
The third weekend of the season sees a pair of home openers on Saturday, Nov. 1 with Toledo hosting Indy and Wheeling welcoming Norfolk.
 
Jacksonville opens its home schedule on Friday, Nov. 7 against Atlanta; Reading plays its first home game on Saturday, Nov. 8 against Trois-Rivières and Fort Wayne is the final team to hold a home opener when it hosts Bloomington on Friday, Nov. 21.
 
The ECHL also has announced the updated divisional alignment for the 2025-26 season:
 
Eastern Conference
 
North Division – Adirondack Thunder, Greensboro Gargoyles, Maine Mariners, Norfolk Admirals, Reading Royals, Trois-Rivières Lions, Wheeling Nailers, Worcester Railers
 
South Division – Atlanta Gladiators, Florida Everblades, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Jacksonville Icemen, Orlando Solar Bears, Savannah Ghost Pirates, South Carolina Stingrays
 
Western Conference
 
Central Division – Bloomington Bison, Cincinnati Cyclones, Fort Wayne Komets, Indy Fuel, Iowa Heartlanders, Kalamazoo Wings, Toledo Walleye
 
Mountain Division – Allen Americans, Idaho Steelheads, Kansas City Mavericks, Rapid City Rush, Tahoe Knight Monsters, Tulsa Oilers, Utah Grizzlies, Wichita Thunder
 
About the ECHL
 
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 29 teams in 22 states and one Canadian province for its 37th season in 2024-25. There have been 768 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 16 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2024-25 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 29 of the 32 NHL teams in 2024-25, marking the 27th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.