MAD Global Strategy CEO Mike DuHaime has joined an ownership group for an expansion East Coast Hockey League club.

DuHaime is a former hockey player – and noted enthusiast – who is deeply involved with youth hockey in the Garden State. He joins as a part of the Slap Shot Sports Group, a limited investment group involved in the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club expansion franchise. That club, based in Rio Rancho, N.M., marks the 31st team to join the ECHL, an official minor league of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Key details of the venture include:

• REV Entertainment (the official sports and entertainment partner of the Texas Rangers) leads the ownership group, which also includes local investors
• 2026 marks the team’s inaugural season – with home games played at the Rio Rancho Events Center
• Fans will have the chance to name the team

“Hockey has been an integral part of my life for decades, but only as an amateur player and volunteer coach,” said DuHaime. NJBIZ has previously profiled the founder of MAD Global, a leading bipartisan public affairs firm, who added, “I am excited to play a small role to expand professional hockey and bring a team back to this growing market in New Mexico.”