Tim Tebow brings professional hockey back to Georgia as a beloved franchise returns. The expansion team hits the ice in 2027, reviving a historic identity for fans.
Tonight the name and logo for the 32nd team of the ECHL were unveiled. The league is bringing back the Augusta Lynx. Professional hockey comes back to the Georgia city in 2027.
The decision revives one of the ECHL’s former identities, bringing back a brand that was originally used from 1998 until the franchise folded during the 2008-09 season.
The new franchise, owned by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and David Hodges, received overwhelming support from fans who favored the Lynx name during a public feedback process. According to Tebow, thousands of submissions were received, with the majority calling for a return to the historic moniker. The updated branding keeps ties to Augusta’s golf culture, as “Lynx” is a play on the term “links,” a nod to the city’s deep connection to the sport.
Back in August when the Augusta expansion was announced, ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said:
"The return of ECHL Hockey to Augusta is exciting on a number of levels...The growth of the market and the newly constructed venue will make for a first-class entertainment experience, while also adding a great new rival city amongst our South Division. Furthermore, David and Tim’s ownership has been exemplary in Tahoe, and we look forward to their continued growth in the Augusta market, which allows for further solidification of developmental hockey in North America, as the ECHL will match the NHL and AHL in markets for the 2027-28 Season.”
The revived Lynx will begin ECHL play in at the new Augusta Arena, a 10,500-seat facility currently under construction in downtown Augusta. The expansion club was approved by the ECHL Board of Governors in 2025 and will become the league’s 32nd member franchise, matching the number of teams in both the NHL and AHL.
For longtime hockey fans in Augusta, the announcement represents more than just a name reveal. It reconnects the city with a piece of its hockey history, bringing back a familiar identity nearly two decades after the original Lynx left the ice.