As the New Mexico Goatheads prepare to drop the puck on their inaugural season, the front office has hit the ice running.

It was May 7 when guests in sharp suits gathered at the Rio Rancho Events Center to make it official: pro hockey was coming back to New Mexico. The team — then known only as the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club — would become the 31st franchise in the ECHL, with puck drop targeted for October 2026.

“We are not here to bring a Texas-based strategy from a Texas-based company to a New Mexico market,” said Sean Decker, president of REV Entertainment, the Texas Rangers’ official sports and entertainment partner that is managing the franchise. “This team will be hyper-local.”

Since that announcement, the organization has wasted little time making good on that promise.

A name born from the ground up

True to Decker’s word, the team put its identity in the hands of New Mexicans, launching a name-the-team contest that drew roughly 2,500 submissions. While fan favorites like Scorpions and Ice Wolves, both names of former New Mexico-based hockey teams, flooded the inbox, “Goatheads” — the notoriously spiky weed that plagues New Mexico yards and bike tires — emerged as a dark horse that resonated with local ownership.

General manager Jared Johnson, who previously served as vice president of the Huntsville Havoc of the SPHL and oversaw four straight single-season league attendance records there, admitted the name was new to him.

“I had no idea what a goathead was,” Johnson told The 528 during an interview at his Rio Rancho Events Center office.

Three finalists — the Goatheads, Tarantula Hawks and Cutthroats — went to a public vote of roughly 10,000 fans. The results were razor-thin, all three finishing within about 100 votes of each other. The team went with Goatheads after seeing the logo concepts come to life.

“As soon as we got what ended up turning into the Goathead logo, we were like, yeah, there’s something there,” Johnson said.

Merchandise has moved briskly since the September branding announcement, and the distinctive logo has begun appearing on stickers across the metro — a trajectory Johnson hopes mirrors what New Mexico United achieved in soccer.

The venue and its roots

The team will play at the Rio Rancho Events Center, which already has permanent ice and a history with the New Mexico Scorpions and New Mexico Mustangs minor league teams. Sports broadcaster Fred Slow, who MC’d the May announcement and knows the venue well through his work with the New Mexico Roadrunners arena soccer team, called it the premium facility in the state.

“I don’t know if I could identify a better opportunity in this state for this hockey team to be successful,” Slow said at the launch event.

Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull noted that joining the ECHL — a league where more than 760 alumni have gone on to play in the NHL over its 37-year history — puts the city on par with major markets across the country.

Johnson said the arena’s intimate setup, with the highest row sitting around the 16th level, will help sell the live experience to first-timers. He’s confident the sport sells itself once people see it in person.

“You know, I definitely run into a lot of people out here that say they aren’t hockey fans, but they’ve never seen it live,” he said. “So it definitely changes it.”

Ownership, staff and community

Johnson relocated to New Mexico for the role and said he was pleasantly surprised by the reception. Season ticket interest and sponsorship numbers have exceeded expectations, and Albuquerque addresses actually outnumber Rio Rancho ones in the team’s database — a sign the franchise is drawing interest well beyond its home city.

He credited strong financial backing from ownership and a front office staff with 20 to 30 years of combined experience for putting the team in a strong position. The city of Rio Rancho is also investing in hockey-specific arena upgrades, and Johnson praised the working relationship with arena management and City Hall.

“Everybody over at City Hall has been so supportive,” he said. “They’ve never told us no about anything.”

He acknowledged the challenge of winning over skeptical sponsors who remember the market’s mixed history with minor league sports. But he said the numbers speak for themselves, and the upcoming NHL affiliate announcement should help close remaining doubters.

Entertainment, theme nights and the casual fan

While Johnson expects a core of dedicated hockey fans, converting casual attendees into regulars is central to the business plan. The ECHL’s licensing program opens the door to theme nights built around properties like Star Wars and SpongeBob, along with throwback nights honoring the market’s hockey history and potential tie-ins with New Mexico United. Breaking Bad-themed nights are also on the table depending on how the home schedule falls.

“We’re in the hockey business, but we’re also in the entertainment business,” Johnson said.

The team plans unique promotions throughout the season, with discounted concessions and family-oriented Sundays among the options being considered — an approach that echoes Decker’s promise from the launch event.

“We know this arena is a place where people and families come together and make memories,” Decker said in May, “and it’s our job to throw a great party and have a hockey game break out.”

Affiliation, Mascot

The New Mexico Goatheads announced a multi-year NHL affiliation agreement with the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 21, establishing a formal player development partnership as the team prepares for its inaugural 2026-27 ECHL season.

The announcement was made during a public event at THE BLOCK in Rio Rancho, where the team also introduced its mascot, Billy, to the public for the first time.

Under the agreement, the Goatheads will serve as the ECHL affiliate of the Avalanche and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. The partnership will support player development through shared resources, collaboration between hockey operations staff and call-up opportunities throughout the season.

“This partnership is about opportunity and growth,” Johnson said. “Aligning with the Avalanche on a multi-year agreement gives our players a defined development path while delivering high-level hockey to our fans from day one.”

Colorado Avalanche Assistant General Manager and Colorado Eagles General Manager Kevin McDonald said the partnership gives Avalanche prospects a strong environment to develop.

“The ECHL is a key part of the Avalanche-Eagles development system, and we’re excited to establish this multi-year partnership with the New Mexico Goatheads,” McDonald said. “Rio Rancho and the Albuquerque market provide a strong environment for our players to develop both on and off the ice.”

Johnson said the affiliate entered preliminary conversations about coaching staff hiring even before a formal job posting — noting roughly 100 resumes have already landed in his inbox.

A full schedule is expected within approximately two months, after which the team will begin building its promotional calendar around confirmed home dates.

Billy, described as youthful and energetic with blue hair, a goatee and unmistakable horns, will serve as the team’s official mascot. According to the team, Billy’s story begins in the mountains of New Mexico, and he made his way to center ice when professional hockey was announced for the region.

Fans can vote on Billy’s jersey number at nmgoatheads.com. Mascot appearance requests for schools, businesses and community events can be submitted through the community tab on the team’s website.

The Goatheads will begin play in fall 2026 at the Rio Rancho Events Center, marking the return of professional hockey to New Mexico for the first time since 2009.

A full schedule is expected within roughly two months, after which the team will begin building out its promotional calendar around confirmed home dates.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to lead the ECHL’s newest franchise and to help bring professional hockey back to New Mexico,” Johnson said at the May launch. 

Nearly a year later, that vision is taking concrete shape.