‘Hockey’s lucky to have Stockton’: City welcomes new pro team in FPHL expansion
Professional hockey is returning to Stockton after a four-year absence, with a new team set to begin play this fall in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) at Adventist Health Arena. Stockton and San Joaquin County leaders, league representatives and officials from Legends Global, which manages the arena, announced the team Wednesday during a news conference celebrating hockey's return to a city that previously hosted the ECHL's Stockton Thunder and the American Hockey League's Stockton Heat . Stockton is a 'city of champions' Mayor Christina Fugazi, wearing a white and red Stockton Pro Hockey jersey given to her by league officials, said Wednesday's announcement felt like a homecoming.
She recalled working as an usher at the Thunder's first game at the arena in 2005. "I couldn't be happier to have hockey back here in Stockton," Fugazi said. "What I want people to understand is that this is so much bigger than people realize.
" Fugazi noted accomplishments by Stockton teams, including St. Mary’s High School winning its first California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Football Championship in December 2025, San Joaquin Delta College’s women’s basketball team capturing its first 3C2A State Championship in March and the Stockton Ports winning numerous California League titles. Fugazi said Stockton is the city of champions, whether people want to believe it or not.
FPHL Commissioner Don Kirnan said the league strives to revive hockey in cities that lost teams. He said he built a program in central New York that was successful and that 10 players he coached reached the National Hockey League (NHL). "We're strong believers in youth hockey," Kirnan said.
"What I like most is the sport of hockey, bringing it back to places that lost it. We've done that all over the country. " Kirnan said league officials envision the Stockton-based team as a long-term presence in the city and acknowledged that most players will not reach the NHL.
Continue to the original source for the full article.