Professional hockey is set to return to Trenton as the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies will relocate to the CURE Insurance Arena starting with the 2026-27 Season.
The ECHL Board of Governors this week approved the transfer of controlling interest in the franchise from Grizzlies Hockey Club LLC to Pro Hockey Partners LLC.
The move will bring professional hockey back to the 7,000-seat arena next October. Trenton last hosted the ECHL’s Trenton Titans until 2013. The team won a Kelly Cup in 2005.
“The return of ECHL hockey to Trenton is extremely exciting as we welcome the market back to our North Division for the 2026-27 Season amidst new teams and rivalries in the region,” said ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin in a league announcement.
“We look forward to reinvigorating the live entertainment experience in the marketplace with an ownership and operating group that are experienced in developmental league sports,” he said.
The ECHL is a North American professional hockey league that’s considered a “AA” league—two steps below the NHL. Teams in the ECHL often serve as affiliates for NHL clubs. The season runs from October through April, followed by the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Pro Hockey Partners is a recently formed ownership group that was created to an ECHL hockey team back to Trenton. The 14-partner consortium is led by Joe Eng, a technology executive from Lawrence Township, as managing member.
Eng is currently listed on LinkedIn as the chief technology officer of Lawrence-based Billtrust. He also has leadership experience at Travelclick, JetBlue Airways and SWIFT.
“We will deliver on the promise of fun, friendly, affordable entertainment,” Eng said in an announcement at CURE Insurance Arena this morning.
He said that the bringing the team to Trenton is about more than just sports — its also about brining economic development and opportunities to the region.
“This is very important for us to be part of, and I will ask you to hold us accountable to that,” Eng said. “This is very personal for us (the ownership group). Many of us live here. Many of us work here.”
Bob Ohrablo, a New York City–born sports executive, will be the president of the club. He is known for building ECHL clubs such as the Jacksonville Icemen and Savannah Ghost Pirates, as well as being a founding partner of the Orlando Solar Bears.
“We are thrilled to reintroduce the ECHL to Trenton and Mercer County, a region known for its strong hockey culture and passion for the sport,” Ohrablo said. “This presents an opportunity for families to enjoy exciting pro hockey nights at affordable prices, along with a variety of family-friendly promotions throughout the season,” he said.
Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said he is excited to bring pro hockey back to Trenton.
“This is another major step in our mission to make Mercer County, and especially our capital city of Trenton, a true destination for sports, business, entertainment, and tourism,” Benson said.
Fran Rodowicz, general manager for CURE Insurance Arena, said that they are planning to make upgrades to the venue in preparation for the team’s arrival.
“Hockey will once again play a prominent role among the many diverse and dynamic events we host each year, and we can’t wait to drop the puck,” said Rodowicz.
The Grizzlies have a history that goes back decades, and they have served as a developmental affiliate for several NHL franchises.
Most recently, the team has been affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche, acting as a pipeline for prospects to move between the ECHL and Colorado’s AHL club, the Colorado Eagles.
Past affiliations have included ties to the New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, and Anaheim Ducks.
The move follows a period of transition for the Grizzlies’ ownership, the team said in a message to its fans. Long-time owner Dave Elmore died in 2023, and the declining health of his wife and co-owner, Donna Tuttle, limited the family’s ability to continue leading the franchise.
“This was a difficult decision, but it is one that we feel is in the best long-term interest of the franchise,” said D.G. Elmore.
Founded as the Denver Grizzlies in 1994, the team won the International Hockey League’s Turner Cup championship in its inaugural season before moving to Salt Lake City in 1995.
The franchise captured another Turner Cup in 1996, later joined the American Hockey League in 2001, and transitioned to the ECHL in 2005.
The Grizzlies have played at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, since 1997, a venue that also hosted hockey during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Over the years, the team has made 18 playoff appearances, produced more than 200 NHL players, and developed a reputation as one of the ECHL’s most consistent franchises.
Several of those alumni went on to play for tri-state area franchises.
They include defenseman Andrew MacDonald, who spent the 2007-08 season with Utah before joining the New York Islanders, where he played six seasons. He later moved to the Philadelphia Flyers, logging more than 300 games across five years, including multiple playoff appearances.
Goaltenders Nathan Lawson and Mikko Koskinen both played for the Islanders after suiting up for the Grizzlies. Forward Trevor Smith, another Utah product, also broke into the NHL with the Islanders in 2008.
The Devils’ organization featured defenseman Victor Bartley, who played for Utah in 2009-10 before moving on to the NHL.
In addition, Trevor Lewis, a longtime NHL forward and Stanley Cup champion with the Los Angeles Kings, played briefly with the Grizzlies during the 2012-13 NHL lockout.
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The Trenton Titans had a turbulent history that led to their eventual departure.
The team was founded in 1999 and quickly became a fan favorite after winning the Kelly Cup. But by the late 2000s, attendance declined, and the team faced persistent financial challenges.
Ownership shifted several times, including a brief period when the New Jersey Devils purchased the franchise in 2006 and rebranded it as the Trenton Devils in 2007.
Many fans felt alienated by the loss of the “Titans” identity. Attendance dropped sharply during the Devils era, and the ECHL franchise was eventually suspended after the 2010-11 season.
Local investors revived the “Trenton Titans” name in 2011, but the team could not sustain strong attendance or revenue despite efforts to reconnect with the community.
By 2013, the ownership group announced the franchise would cease operations, citing poor attendance and continuing financial losses.
The CURE Insurance Arena is owned by the Mercer County Improvement Authority and operated by Oak View Group.
Further details on the Grizzlies’ debut in New Jersey will be announced in the coming months. Check echl.com, cureinsurancearena.com and trentonechlhockey.com.
Grizzlies Timeline
1994-95 — The franchise begins as the Denver Grizzlies in the International Hockey League and wins the Turner Cup championship in its first season.
1995-96 — The team relocates to Salt Lake City as the Utah Grizzlies and repeats as Turner Cup champions.
1997 — The Grizzlies move into the E-Center (now Maverik Center) in West Valley City, later a host venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
2001 — Following the IHL’s collapse, the Grizzlies join the American Hockey League, where they play for four seasons.
2005 — Utah transitions to the ECHL, renewing rivalries with Western clubs.
2007-11 — A surge of NHL talent emerges, including Andrew MacDonald, Trevor Smith, Nathan Lawson, and Mikko Koskinen, all of whom debut with the New York Islanders.
2012-13 — Utah native Trevor Lewis, fresh off a Stanley Cup win with Los Angeles, briefly plays with the Grizzlies during the NHL lockout.
2013-16 — The team posts some of its best ECHL records, making the playoffs in nine of 10 years and leading the league in home wins over a three-year span.
2023 — Longtime owner Dave Elmore dies, leading to a transition period for the franchise.
2025-26 — The Grizzlies announce they will relocate to Trenton’s Cure Insurance Arena following their final Utah season.
