The ECHL announced on Thursday that the 2026-27 season opens with seven games on Friday, Oct. 16 and continues with 14 games on Saturday, Oct. 17 with Opening Weekend concluding with five games on Sunday, Oct. 18.
 
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 24 states and one Canadian province playing 1,080 games from Oct. 16, 2026 to April 11, 2027.

Download the 2026-27 ECHL schedule
 
Opening Night features the debut of the expansion New Mexico Goatheads, who return professional hockey to Rio Rancho, New Mexico for the first time since 2008-09, when they host the Idaho Steelheads. ECHL hockey returns to Trenton, New Jersey for the first time since 2012-13 when the Ironhawks host Adirondack on Saturday, Oct. 24.
 
Other action on Friday, Oct. 16 includes Greensboro hosting Reading, Greenville entertaining South Carolina, Indy welcoming Wheeling, Kansas City taking on Rapid City, Savannah hosting Norfolk and Trois-Rivières entertaining Trenton.
 
Nine teams open their home schedules on Saturday, Oct. 17 with Adirondack welcoming Trenton, Atlanta entertaining Norfolk, Bloomington hosting Kalamazoo, Florida taking on Orlando, Fort Wayne welcoming Toledo, Soutth Carolina entertaining Greenville, Tulsa hosting Allen, Wichita taking on Tahoe and Worcester welcoming Maine.
 
Opening weekend concludes on Sunday, Oct. 18 with Orlando hosting Florida in its home-opening contest.
 
Friday, Oct. 23 sees five teams open the home portion of the schedule with Idaho entertaining Allen, Maine welcoming Worcester, Norfolk taking on Trois-Rivières, Rapid City hosting Kansas City and Tahoe entertaining New Mexico.
 
In addition to Trenton, Saturday, Oct. 24 sees three other clubs open their home schedules as Cincinnati takes on Bloomington, Reading hosts Kalamazoo and Wheeling welcomes Toledo.
 
Allen, which will host its first game at Credit Union of Texas Event Center on Friday, Nov. 20 versus Kansas City, welcomes Idaho for a pair of games at Dallas Stars Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas on Thursday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 30.
 
Kalamazoo opens its home schedule on Friday, Oct. 30 against Toledo; Jacksonville plays its first home game on Saturday, Oct. 31 versus Atlanta and Toledo is the final team to hold a home opener when it hosts Fort Wayne on Saturday, Nov. 7.
 
The ECHL also has announced the updated divisional alignment for the 2026-27 season:
 
Eastern Conference
 
North Division – Adirondack Thunder, Greensboro Gargoyles, Maine Mariners, Norfolk Admirals, Reading Royals, Trenton Ironhawks, Trois-Rivières Lions, 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, Kalamazoo Wings, Toledo Walleye, Wheeling Nailers
 
Mountain Division – Allen Americans, Idaho Steelheads, Kansas City Mavericks, New Mexico Goatheads, Rapid City Rush, Tahoe Knight Monsters, Tulsa Oilers, 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 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province for its 38th season in 2025-26. There have been 782 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 14 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2025-26 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 30 of the 32 NHL teams in 2025-26, marking the 28th 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.