The ECHL has approved expansion to Greensboro, NC.

The ECHL announced on Friday that the newest expansion team will be coming to the heart of the hockey world: North Carolina.

Already home to an NHL team (Carolina Hurricanes) and AHL team (Charlotte Checkers), the state will now be adding the ECHL back to its professional repertoire with the league's 30th team.

“The ECHL is proud to welcome our 30th member by returning to the Greensboro, North Carolina market,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin in a press release. “Greensboro holds a special place in the ECHL’s history and growth, and it will be a joyful moment to drop the puck once again in October 2025 and bring professional hockey back to the city for fans to once again cheer for their hometown team.”

Greensboro has twice been home to an ECHL franchise, having had the Monarchs from 1989-1995 and the Generals from 1999-2004.

There's a rich hockey history in Greensboro even beyond the ECHL, as the Carolina Monarchs of the AHL called it home from 1995-1997 and so too did the Hurricanes when they first relocated to NC, playing there from 1997-1999 while the Lenovo Center, then known as the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, was being built

The new franchise will begin playing in the 2025-26 season at the newly named First Horizon Coliseum, formerly known simply as just the Greensboro Coliseum, which is also home to the NBA G-League's Greensboro Swarm.

The venue also hosts the men's and women's ACC basketball tournament, the NCAA Tournament and a variety of concerts.

The franchise will be owned and operated by the Zawyer Sports and Entertainment group who also three other ECHL teams: the Jacksonville Icemen (affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres), Savannah Ghost Pirates (affiliate of the Florida Panthers) and Tahoe Knight Monsters (affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights), as well as an AHL team: the Charlotte Checkers (affiliate of the Florida Panthers).

“We are very excited for the opportunity to launch an ECHL team in Greensboro,” said Zawyer Sports CEO Andy Kaufmann in the press release. “We look forward to turning Tournament Town into Hockey Town with a family-friendly atmosphere that will bring people together from all around the community.”

Currently, the Hurricanes do not have an ECHL affiliate as they only have a working agreement with the Bloomington Bison who are officially affiliated with the New York Rangers, so perhaps there'll be a future partnership once again in the state.

Other teams without an ECHL affiliate include the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators.