You’ll have to drive a bit to get to it, though.
Hockey is coming back to Houston.
The North American Hockey League announced the relocation of the North Iowa Bulls to the Houston area for the 2026-2027 season. The team will be renamed the Houston Bulls and play at the new Deep South Ice Rink and Sports Center in Richmond.
The NAHL is a part of the USA Hockey National Junior Development Model. It works closely with NCAA, the NHL, the United States Hockey League and USA Hockey’s National Development Program in order to “best serve as an imperative piece in the development system for collegiate and professional hockey.”
The league is an alternative for players who aren’t a level above in the USHL or the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League, the circuits that comprise the Canadian Hockey League.
“We are excited to bring NAHL hockey to the Houston area and to be part of a rapidly growing hockey market,” Tyler Shaffar, president of the management group that oversees the Houston Bulls, said in a statement. “The Deep South Ice Facility will provide a tremendous home for our players and fans, and we look forward to delivering more than 30 nights of high-level hockey and entertainment each season while contributing to the continued growth of the game in the Houston community.”
The announcement brings organized hockey back to Houston for the first time since the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League relocated to Iowa in 2013.
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The Deep South Ice & Sports Center is scheduled to open this summer and will be a state-of-the-art, privately-owned facility. The 150,000-square-foot project includes a 1,800-seat arena, 14 suites, two party decks, a second NHL-size practice ice sheet and a volleyball center.
“We’re thrilled to welcome junior hockey to our facility and to the community,” Deep South Ice & Sports Complex general managers TC Lewis & Caren Bell said in a statement. “The Houston Bulls will bring exciting, high-level hockey to our city and create new opportunities for local players and fans to connect with the sport.”
Houston will become the ninth team in the league’s South Division and seventh team from Texas. The others in the division include the Amarillo Wranglers, Corpus Christi IceRays, El Paso Rhinos, Lone Star Brahmas, New Mexico Ice Wolves, Odessa Jackalopes, Oklahoma Warriors, and Shreveport Mudbugs.
Yes, the fact that this team is relocating here from Iowa after the former Houston Aeros abandoned us to move to Iowa is a bit of a full-circle moment. Minor league sports tend to be pretty loose and fun-oriented, so if this sort of thing sounds like it might be your jam, you should check it out. The Lone Star Brahmas, by the way, are in the Dallas suburb of North Richland Hills, in case you want to do a statewide tour. If you’re still holding out for an NHL franchise, keep hope alive.
@Kuff… Thank you for Not making the claim that Professional hockey is returning to Houston.