Tim Tebow leading new expansion minor league hockey team in South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe is getting a minor league hockey team and it’s going to be owned by former football star Tim Tebow.
The ECHL announced this week an expansion team will begin play at Stateline, Nevada’s new Tahoe Blue Event Center beginning in the 2024-25 season.
“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,” ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said in a statement.
Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner with the University of Florida, is joining David Hodges, the CEO of Hodges Management Group LLC, as an owner of the team. Hodges said they will look to the area’s fans to help come up with a team name, colors and logos before beginning play in October 2024.
The ECHL is one of two minor league hockey leagues with NHL affiliations. It’s a step below the American Hockey League, and has affiliations with 28 of the 32 major-league franchises. The league formed in 1988 with just five teams in four states but has expanded to 20 states and two Canadian provinces.
The league did not announce any affiliation between the new Tahoe team and an NHL team. The San Jose Sharks currently have an ECHL affiliation with the Wichita Thunder, which formed in August.
The newly constructed Tahoe Blue Event Center is slated to open in September. It’s situated alongside Stateline’s four large-scale casinos and is expected to seat roughly 4,200 people for sporting events, concerts and more.
“I love that sports can bring people together from all over to enjoy camaraderie, competition, and community impact,” Tebow said in the league-issued statement. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of a group bringing hockey to the Tahoe area for fans and families to create memories for years to come.”
This story was originally published July 12, 2023 at 5:19 PM.
