Not Just the NHL: Minor League Cities That Deserve a Return to Hockey

Isn’t it amazing to see how some dominoes fall?  Especially the domino that led New Jersey’s capital city back into professional hockey?

The first domino is what used to be the National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes.  For years, fans from all walks of life wanted nothing but hockey out of the desert, and in 2024 they got their wish.  Thanks to commissioner Gary Bettman coming to his senses, the Coyotes found a new home in Utah and became the Hockey Club, now Mammoth, and are thriving in the Beehive State.

What the general fan forgets is that there was a hockey team already in Utah, the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL, and because of the Mammoth and other factors, they moved to Trenton, New Jersey to become the Trenton Ironhawks.  

For fhe first time in over a decade, hockey returns to the Cure Insurance Arena, then named Sun National Bank Center.  When the city lost the Trenton Titans in 2013, there was little hope that a team would come back.  Fan outlook for this team is positive, despite not returning as the once-loved “Titans” moniker.  

There are many cities that yearn for the return of organized hockey.  By default, fans would say Hartford or Quebec City, two cities that technically do have hockey in the Wolfpack and Ramparts respectively in their respective leagues.  But, no one wants to take the time to address the other cities deserving of one at the minor league level. 

Two cities that definitely come to mind are Albany, New York and Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The city of Albany has a history of pro hockey dating back to 1990 with the Albany Choppers, Capital District Islanders, Albany River Rats, and Albany Devils.  The bulk of Albany’s success came with the River Rats, who won two regular season and three division titles, including  the 1994/95 Calder Cup as American Hockey League playoff champions.  Notable players who have played in New York’s capital district include Patrick Elias, Keith Aucoin, Michael Leighton, Colin White, Petr Sykora, and Scott Wedgewood. 

Professional hockey in the Capital Region came to an end when the Albany Devils relocated to Binghamton, New York back in 2017.  

Albany does have a suitable venue to host professional hockey in MVP Arena, which can accommodate under 15,000 fans for hockey.  Specific to the sport, MVP Arena has hosted NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament completion.  Separate from hockey, the venue has played host to indoor football and box lacrosse with varied success, including Albany Empire of the National Arena League led infamously by Antionio Brown.  

A number of factors have contributed to the demise of professional hockey in Albany.  Some say that it’s because of the arena itself; others say it was poor leadership and lack of competitive on-ice product in seasons after their 1995 championship; others say it was the ownership groups that alienated their fanbases. 

Competnent leadership and proper community outreach can help revive the sport in Albany.  Should hockey return, it should be in the form of an AHL team.  The city has a unique geography that benefits both the AHL and the NHL.  Albany is central to the AHL’s New York state and New England teams; and for the NHL, the city is in close-enough proximity to New York City, Newark, Elmont, Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, and Buffalo.  

There is no reason why New York’s capital city should not be home to a direct affiliation with the New York Rangers or New York Islanders.  The Rangers’ primary affiliate, the aforementioned Wolfpack, play in a city that yearns for the return of its Whalers.  The Islanders will see their AHL team move north of the border to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and the player management between Hamilton and Long Island will be quite timely in comparison to their recent setup in southern Connecticut. 

For now, hockey fans in the region to get their hockey fix, they will need to trek to nearby Troy and Schenectady to see NCAA Division I RPI and Union College. 

A small town in central Pennsylvania holds a special place for hockey fans.  When they think of Johnstown, what comes to mind is “Hey Hanrahan,” “Ogilthorpe,” and “the Hansen Brothers.”  

The movie Slapshot set in Charlestown, Pennsylvania was filmed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  Many of the movie’s most iconic scenes were filmed in the 4,001-seat Cambria County War Memorial Arena.  In 2015, the arena won the 2015 iteration of Kraft Hockeyville USA, receiving $150,000.00 in upgrades and hosted a preseason matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning.  

Currently, the city is home to the Johnstown Tomahawks of the North American Hockey League.  Considered “Tier 2” in the USA Hockey junior ranks, the NAHL is a premier junior league that has developed some top talent for colleges.  A lot of their talent has grown into the NCAA Division 1 and Division 3 ranks, as well as non-NCAA governing hockey programs.  

Before the Tomahawks, the city was home to the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs.  Between 1987 and 2010, they served as the secondary affiliates for the NHL’s Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild.  Notable Chiefs in the NHL include Scott Gordon, Arthurs Irbe, and Jody Shelly. 

With the recent decision by those in charge to allow major junior players to play in the NCAA, the NAHL could risk relegation to a lower form of play, therefore diminishing the talent pool the Tomahawks have to offer fans, unless the Tomahawks themselves can elevate to higher levels of junior hockey competition.  This shift in hockey development could entice the city to go back to professional hockey ranks.  

Should Johnstown return to professional hockey, the city could benefit from a presence in either the ECHL or Federal Prospects Hockey League.  In the ECHL, they can benefit from a rivalry with nearby Wheeling Nailers and Reading Royals.  In the Federal League, the similar namesake as the league from Slapshot, they can benefit from rivalries with the nearby Binghamton Black Bears, Watertown Wolves, and Port Huron Prowlers. 

There are a lot of cities that want hockey back across the United States.  The list will be plentiful and the arguments for them very convincing.  The city of Trenton is fortunate to have professional hockey back in its city.  For those with teams now, appreciate them and don’t take them for granted.  Otherwise, they will leave and may not return for another decade.