It has been an exciting time at FloHockey with the introduction of several new leagues over the last few years to the platform, but the longest-standing professional hockey partnership has been with the ECHL. 

• Subscribe today to watch the ECHL live and on demand all season
• ECHL Expansion Team To Be Called New Mexico Goatheads 
• Greensboro Gargoyles Unveil First Jerseys

It all gets started Friday night with an eight-game slate highlighted by the banner night for the 2025 Kelly Cup Champion Trois-Rivières Lions, being honored before taking on the Reading Royals to open their title defense.

With the puck set to drop on yet another season of ECHL hockey on Flo this Friday, here’s a look at some of the most compelling storylines as we enter the league’s 2025-26 campaign.

Enter The Greensboro Gargoyles

Professional hockey is back in Greensboro, N.C., and the excitement is palpable. Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, owners of multiple ECHL teams, attracted some celebrity partners from Barstool Sports’ popular Spittin’ Chiclets podcast and there’s no question that puts a spotlight on the Gargoyles.

The team will open its season Saturday night with a roster with some quality veteran players like Logan Nelson, Patrick Newell, and Wade Murphy, some solid rookies like former Bentley standout Ethan Leyh and an experienced coach with ECHL bona fides as both a player and coach.

Scott Burt is the team’s first bench boss, coming from the Rapid City Rush where he was head coach for four seasons. He also played in 586 ECHL games during a legendary career. Last season, Burt had to step away from the team while battling a brain tumor. He was able to return to the bench and now has a new challenge ahead in helping launch an expansion team.

The club opens its season on home ice Saturday, with the Chiclets crew expected to be in attendance.

One Last Ride For The Utah Grizzlies

The Utah Grizzlies will be moving to Trenton, N.J., after the club’s sale was approved over the summer. The team has existed in some or another for more than 30 years near Salt Lake City, but the time has come to move on. Though the Utah Mammoth now give SLC a team at the top pro level, the Grizzlies were beloved for a lot of years.

This season will mark the end of an era in one market before going to revive a long-dormant one. The team is calling this season “The Final Hunt” and has plans to have a number of various celebrations and theme nights honoring the 30-year history of pro hockey in Utah.

The club has some talent, especially in net with Hobey Baker winner Dryden Hunt and Dylan Wells, who reached the NHL briefly. They have some scoring to replace, but will be bringing back Reed Lebster, Mick Messner and Neil Shea, who each had productive 2024-25 seasons.

The Grizzlies open their season on the road against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits Friday night before heading to Atlanta Saturday for a date with the Gladiators.

Can Hawkins Three-Peat As MVP?

Since Brandon Hawkins entered the league in 2019-20, the supremely talented sniper has produced 399 points – 85 more than anyone else in the league over that span. Over the last two seasons alone, Hawkins has accounted for 182 points in just 141 games. He was named ECHL MVP in 2024 and 2025. 

This season, he could be the first player ever to three-peat as the league’s most valuable. He could also become only the second in the league’s history to win the award three times total. Chad Costello is the other player to have accomplished that feat.

As always, Toledo is one of the league’s most talented teams on paper. Hawkins, now 31, has showed no signs of slowing. He has topped 35 goals in each of the previous four seasons and is automatic on the power play. 

While the individual accolades are nice, Hawkins has been hungry to help bring Toledo its first Kelly Cup. Despite all of the regular-season success this team has had, that championship has eluded them. Could this finally be their year? After reaching the final in 2024-25, they have to be even hungrier to get that hardware now.

The Walleye open up their 2025-26 campaign on the road against the Indy Fuel.

Can Trois-Rivières Do It Again?

Winning a championship is hard enough, but it's even harder to repeat. The Trois-Rivières Lions never seemed like a credible threat to win the title in their first three years, but Year 4 proved to be a special one. Under the direction of head coach Ron Choules, the Lions smoked their previous franchise record for wins by 11 amid a 45-win campaign in 2024-25. Then they plowed through the playoffs, going 16-5 to claim their first Kelly Cup.

There will be new faces with the club as the team will have to replace starting goalie Luke Cavallin, who earned an AHL contract after his spectacular performance last postseason. There are plenty of returnees, though. Morgan Adams-Moisan is the team's captain and top scorer Anthony Beauregaurd is back in the mix for another year as the Lions celebrate their fifth anniversary season. They'll still be a threat in 2025-26.

Trois-Rivières raises their banner Friday night before a date with the Reading Royals.

How do college eligibility rules impact the league?

The landscape of the hockey world has changed dramatically in recent years and the impact has been felt. The NCAA has now granted eligibility to former CHL players, who were previously barred from competition. That may mean we’ll see fewer players straight out of junior hockey in the ECHL as they look to extend their amateur careers by playing collegiately.

But there’s been another interesting wrinkle to the process. Five players who played in the ECHL last season were surprisingly granted NCAA eligibility despite having a full season of professional service. Because the NCAA has allowed players who played professionally in Europe to play in other sports, it seems the rules on hockey have been relaxed, too.

This will really only apply to players who come to the ECHL directly out of the CHL or from Canadian U Sports, but players having the chance to go play NCAA hockey even after playing professionally makes for an interesting dynamic and some interesting decisions for players who now have more options available to them than ever before.

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

Watch the AHL, ECHL, QMJHL, USHL, And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.

Hockey Hits Harder On Flo

Every game. Every goal. Every hit. All Season Long. FloHockey gives you access to the most live hockey anywhere, including leagues like the AHL, ECHL, OHL and QMJHL. Watch your team, follow top prospects and stay on top of all the action. Subscribe to an annual plan now and get 7 months free.

Join The Hockey Conversation On FloHockey Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloHockey
• Follow us on Instagram @flohockey
• Follow us on TikTok @flohockeytv
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook