Avalanche’s ECHL affiliate to be named the Trenton Ironhawks
One of the best logos in the ECHL is being replaced by another top-tier name, as the Utah Grizzlies will become the Trenton Ironhawks when the franchise relocates from West Valley City, Utah, to Trenton, New Jersey, for the 2026-27 ECHL season.
The Ironhawks’ name was selected from over 2,000 submissions in a name-the-name contest. It was officially announced on Tuesday, along with the logo, which features an iron hawk grabbing a hockey stick and an industrial-style wordmark spelling the city and team name.
The team will play at the 7,000-person capacity CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, which previously housed the New Jersey Devils’ ECHL team, the Trenton Titans, who were rebranded as the Devils in 2007, before reverting to the Titans in 2011.
The Ironhawks, however, will not be affiliated with their state’s NHL franchise. Instead, they are set to continue the Grizzlies’ affiliation with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
The ECHL team in Trenton will be called the Trenton IronHawks pic.twitter.com/h23vFKOAkV
— Kyle Franko (@kj_franko) January 13, 2026“This is an exciting day for our league and for New Jersey hockey fans,” said Ryan Crelin, the ECHL’s Commissioner since 2018. “The original ECHL team served as a catalyst to the opening of CURE Insurance Arena back in 1999 and grew the hockey community in New Jersey. We look forward to reinvigorating that experience through a seasoned ownership group.”
Trenton last hosted an ECHL franchise in 2013. The Titans won the 2005 Kelly Cup and staged the 2002 ECHL All-Star Classic. According to the team, over 650 fans have already signed up for season tickets for the next chapter of Trenton hockey as well.
While Ironhawks fans look to be flocking to their new team name in the new season, they are not the first team from a municipality named Trenton to have a “hawk” in their name, joining the Trenton Goldenhawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, who have held the name since 1996.