An ownership group led by former NFL player Tim Tebow and David Hodges is bringing professional hockey to Lake Tahoe.
The region will host the ECHL’s 29th franchise as an expansion team starting with the 2024-25 season.
The most recent expansion team was the Savannah Ghost Pirates, who began play in 2022-23. The ECHL is a professional hockey league that has affiliate agreements with 28 NHL teams.
“The ECHL proudly welcomes the 29th Member Team to the League in the brand new Tahoe Blue Event Center, expanding our geography in the western part of the continent, and creating natural rivalries for visiting fans with the Idaho Steelheads, Utah Grizzlies, and the entire Mountain Division,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin.” “This new team will offer the only professional sports action in the region, giving locals a hometown team and fast-paced entertainment, with a commitment to giving back and growing the game of hockey in the community. This ownership and operating group have already shown the ability to create a new generation of ECHL fans, and we look forward to the excitement they will bring to South Tahoe.”
The team will play in a location that sees 15 million visitors annually, a setting perfect for professional hockey. This will be the third ECHL team that Tebow has had an ownership stake in, after the Savannah Ghost Pirates and Jacksonville IceMen. He is intent on bringing professional hockey to places that aren’t typically considered hockey markets.
The Lake Tahoe expansion team will be managed and operated by Zawyer Sports and Entertainment. The Tahoe Blue Event Center can hold up to 4,200 fans and could create an exciting atmosphere for tourists and locals alike. The arena is located 35 minutes away from Carson City, Nevada and about an hour from Reno, Nevada.
Tahoe famously hosted an outdoor NHL game during the 2020-21 season with one game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche and the other between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.
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