OFFICIAL: Goatheads an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche

RIO RANCHO — It's official: The New Mexico Goatheads will be an NHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. The news was announced to a sea of people at The Block Feb. 22. 

"The timing worked out perfect. The Avalanche's current ECHL team is moving at the end of this year,"  Goatheads General Manager Jared Johnson said. "Kevin [McDonald] and his team reached out. It was a Zoom, it was an in-person meeting, then, a couple weeks later, we actually meet with them in Dallas with our ownership group ... Probably a couple days later, we had that official confirmation."

The New Mexico Goatheads will join the Colorado Eagles as the Avalanche's two ECHL affiliate teams.

“The ECHL is a key part of the Avalanche-Eagles player development equation, and we’re excited to establish this multi-year partnership with the New Mexico Goatheads,” Avalanche Assistant General Manager and Colorado Eagles General Manager Kevin McDonald said via a press release. “We were impressed with the Albuquerque market when we were evaluating options, and Rio Rancho will provide a strong environment for players to grow both on and off the ice.”

Beginning with their debut 2026-27 season, the Goatheads will be a pipeline for the three-time Stanley Cup Champions, the Colorado Avalanche. The Goatheads are set to make their ECHL debut at the Rio Rancho Events Center in October.

From billboards in Santa Fe to merchandise lines being wrapped around the corner, the hype for pro hockey is real. So far, 1,200 season tickets have been sold, and according to Johnson, it has been "the best week for sponsorships."

"The interest has just been awesome. We've been blown away by the response from the community,"  Johnson said. "I know the ECHL had this market on their radar for a long time. When I was first offered this job a year ago, I had no idea what to expect. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to start a team from scratch, and the state, the city has responded."

A few of the Avalanche's brass were in attendance, including Assistant General Manager Kevin McDonald and Head of U.S. Scouting Mike Battaglia.

"It's really exciting for us. It's a close affiliation, a one-hour flight for us, six-hour drive," Battaglia said. "It's just something that we can see a future with for a long time."

Also in attendance were plenty of members of the University of New Mexico hockey teams who could one suit up for the New Mexico Goatheads. 

"With the Avalanche, we like to play fast, we like to be competitive, those are two huge things for us. We want tenacious players, speed ... we like to put both those aspects into our NHL team and into our other levels as well," Battaglia said.

The Goatheads eventual debut marks the first time a professional hockey team will compete in the New Mexico since 2009, when the New Mexico Scorpions played. If the turnout and energy at The Block was any indication, New Mexico is ready for pro hockey.