For the first time in a long time, the Carolina Hurricanes have an affiliate ladder that includes both the American Hockey League (AHL) and the ECHL. After re-establishing their agreement with the Chicago Wolves last season in their new three-year deal, they will have an ECHL affiliate. The best part: the affiliate is in their own backyard.
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The Greensboro Gargoyles are one of the newest ECHL franchises, which will play their games at First Horizon Coliseum (formerly the Greensboro Coliseum). Recently, they unveiled their first-ever jerseys ahead of the 2025-26 season, and it was announced by their co-owners from Spittin’ Chiclets. Along with Zawyer Sports, the guys from the podcast look to make a name in the ECHL. They have also slowly been building their inaugural roster for the upcoming season.
Gargoyles Unveil First-Ever Jerseys
On Thursday, Aug. 21, the Gargoyles held a ceremony unveiling their first-ever jerseys for the franchise that’ll debut for the 2025-26 season. The guys from Spittin’ Chiclets released a video on socials showing off what the home, road, and alternate jerseys will look like. It’s safe to say that they are must-get items for jersey collectors and/or fans of the Gargoyles. The color scheme that the team will roll with is purple, gold, white, and black. The home jerseys will be mainly purple with black, gold, and white trim. The road editions will be mainly white with purple, black, and gold trim. Finally, the alternate editions, probably the best ones of the trio, will be black with an alternate gargoyle head logo as the crest. The only other color on the alternate is purple, but overall, all three jerseys came out perfectly.
It’s an exciting time for Gargoyles fans as they now can snag their first-ever jerseys of the franchise, which are just an hour away from the Hurricanes. The ability to have an affiliate so close to home to the NHL team will give the fans of the Hurricanes the ability to see some of their prospects in Greensboro, and just take in more hockey in the area. The ECHL is a fun league to watch, and there’s a sense that people will flock to the “Greensboro Cathedral” this upcoming season. That being said, the Gargoyles aren’t just unveiling their jerseys; they are also building out their inaugural roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
If You Build It, They Will Come
The first player to sign for the Gargoyles came on Wednesday, July 30, when they signed forward Logan Nelson. The 31-year-old Nelson joins the team after tallying 18 goals and 52 points in 66 games during the 2024-25 season with the Tahoe Knight Monsters. He served as their alternate captain, adding three goals and eight points in eight games during the ECHL Playoffs last season. The Gargoyles’ first-ever head coach, Scott Burt, coached Nelson with the Rapid City Rush from 2021 to 2024. He said, “Logan is a true warrior and a bit of a throwback player. Logan plays the game hard, and hates to lose, which is a mindset that we want all of our players to understand. He has played for me before, and I have seen him grow his game every year, not only on the ice but off it as well. He understands my standards and culture, and he will bring that here to Greensboro.” If there is someone to start a franchise with in the ECHL, you cannot go wrong with a veteran like Nelson.
Alongside Nelson, the Gargoyles have added forward Luke Mylymok in their first-ever trade with the Rush. He had 12 goals and 20 points in 45 games during his first professional season with the Rush. They later added forwards Wade Murphy, Patrick Newell, Anthony Rinaldi, and Colton Leiter. While there is still a long way to go to fill out the roster, the Gargoyles are looking to hit (or skate) the ground running on Oct. 18 against the Jacksonville Icemen at home. It kicks off their 72-game regular-season slate (36 home, 36 away), which will see them compete in the North Division.
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In the North Division, they will be joining the Adirondack Thunder, Worcester Railers, Maine Mariners, former affiliate the Norfolk Admirals, Reading Royals, Wheeling Nailers, and Trois-Rivieres Lions. It will be an interesting inaugural season to watch for the Gargoyles as they navigate the ECHL, which is expanding rapidly across North America with what seems like new franchises every season. Either way, it’s more hockey in North Carolina, and it’s affiliated with their Stanley Cup-winning franchise. The growing relationship between the Hurricanes and Gargoyles will be one to keep an eye on as the seasons go along. Regardless of how it goes, there is only one inaugural season, and the Gargoyles are looking to make their mark.
