Falcons hockey team returning to downtown Fresno after 17-year hiatus
After 17 years, the Falcons are returning to downtown Fresno.
The professional hockey team will play out of Selland Arena beginning in October, officials announced at a news conference Wednesday.
Mayor Jerry Dyer was joined by City Manager Georgeanne White for the announcement.
“Downtown is making a comeback,” Dyer said. “There’s no reason why Fresno cannot be the entertainment hub of the entire Valley.”
The team was first formed 80 years ago and ultimately ceased operations in late 2008.
Dyer announced the Selland Area will get a new, $700,000 scoreboard ahead of the team’s return.
The Fresno Falcons will be part of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. While the FPHL is mostly centered on the East Coast, management consultant Scott Brand — joined by commissioner Donald Kirnan — said the league is working to grow its California presence.
A day before the Fresno Falcons announcement, the FPHL unveiled a team in Oceanside. Brand noted that another team — a potential rival, at that — will soon be announced in Stockton.
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 4:34 PM.
