​The New Mexico Goatheads have secured their first player under contract. The fledgling East Coast Hockey League squad — the minor-league affiliate of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche — announced on Friday the addition of forward Grant Ahcan for the 2026-27 season. The Goatheads will begin their inaugural ECHL campaign, which is considered the hockey equivalent of Double-A baseball, on October 16 at the Rio Rancho Events Center.
This signing marks Ahcan’s second stint as a professional hockey player. The 24-year-old spent the 2025-26 season with the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders, appearing in 14 games and recording two goals along with two assists. He also spent part of this summer at the Avalanche’s development camp, where he trained with a number of the organization’s top prospects.
Ahcan played college hockey at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, where he appeared in 117 games and accumulated 14 goals and 19 assists. He served as the Huskies’ team captain during his senior year, playing in a career-high 39 games and posting four goals and five assists.
Hailing from a hockey-centered family, Ahcan has connections across the sport. One of his older brothers, Jack, has played in the NHL with the Boston Bruins and the Avalanche, and is currently part of the Nashville Predators organization as a defenseman. Another brother, Roman, plays for the Cleveland Monsters, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The AHL sits one level above the ECHL in the professional hierarchy.
David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. He can be reached at dglovach@abqjournal.com or on X @DavidGlovach. More coverage of the New Mexico Goatheads is forthcoming, including profiles of the team’s new head coach and details about the home opener, as the franchise brings professional hockey back to New Mexico for the first time in nearly two decades.