NA3HL Approves West Texas Wranglers Expansion Franchise in Amarillo

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NAHL Amarillo Wranglers

NA3HL Approves West Texas Wranglers Expansion Franchise in Amarillo

April 16, 2025 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Amarillo Wranglers News Release


Amarillo, TX - The NA3HL has announced the approval of the West Texas Wranglers, a new expansion franchise in the league's South Division. The West Texas Wranglers will be affiliated with the North American Hockey League's Amarillo Wranglers, giving young players the chance to showcase their abilities and compete for an opportunity to join the NAHL club while playing locally. The Wranglers are the fourth expansion team joining the league in 2025-26, and will begin play in the fall.

The West Texas Wranglers will play their home games at the Amarillo Ice Ranch. The Ice Ranch sits just across the street from the Budweiser Bull Pen, where the NAHL club plays, and will play 22 home games beginning in the 2025-2026 season. The Ice Ranch offers close proximity to the NAHL team, as well as an electric atmosphere for everyone to enjoy. The NA3HL features a 47 game schedule, with three games being played at the NA3HL Showcase in Blaine, MN in December. Fans can watch all 22 away games as well as the Showcase on NATV.

The North American 3 Hockey League is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior league and serves as one of the top training grounds in the country by providing the best coaching, exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes in its classification. No other league has had more success in advancing players to the NAHL than the NA3HL. With an NA3HL franchise right across the street from a NAHL franchise the Wranglers pipeline from the Tier III level to Tier II is clear as can be, following a similar model used by the New Mexico Ice Wolves and the El Paso Rhinos.

The team is owned and operated by Amarillo Ice Sports LLC, the same group that owns and operates the Amarillo Wranglers. "This is a major step forward for hockey in Amarillo," said team owner and President, Austin Sutter. "The launch of the West Texas Wranglers in the NA3HL gives local players and families another incredible opportunity to pursue junior hockey right here at home. Amarillo continues to grow as a hockey community, and we're proud to be recognized as one of the premier junior markets in North America."

"We're going all in on the NAHL model," he continued. "We believe the combined strength of the NAHL, NA3HL, and NAPHL footprint is the best in all of junior hockey. Our commitment is simple: the West Texas Wranglers will mirror the standards of the NAHL Amarillo Wranglers when it comes to player development, fan engagement, billet support, and creating a first-class experience for everyone involved."

"With next season marking the 30th consecutive year of hockey in the Texas Panhandle, there's no better time to invest in the game's future. We're excited to join a competitive and well-run division, and we look forward to working alongside our South Division partners to elevate the standard of junior hockey together," said Sutter.

The General Manager of the West Texas Wranglers will be Brit Brookes, who is an NA3HL alumnus himself, having spent time in the league with the Louisiana Drillers and the Long Beach Sharks as recently as 2020. Brookes and the Wranglers will now look to craft the team's inaugural roster through the NA3HL Draft on April 30th, and tendering players. The West Texas Wranglers have won the Draft Lottery and own the 1st Overall Pick.

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