The Fresno Falcons, who once packed Selland Arena with a brawling, fast-paced style of minor-league ice hockey, will return to the ice after a nearly two-decade absence.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer made the announcement Wednesday at his State of the City address in downtown Fresno.

Key to the Falcons’ resurrection: Funds from Visit Fresno County to help pay for a new $700,000 scoreboard in the arena.

Longtime Fresno Falcons fan Georgeanne White said she couldn’t wait for the hockey team to return in the fall. She brought out her old Falcons jersey to commemorate the announcement.

“I can’t tell you how much those of us who are old Fresno Falcons fans are going to be so excited to see the Falcons back in Selland Arena so we can be slamming our hands up against the boards and screaming our heads off,” White said.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said having the team play again at Selland Arena helps contribute to a vibrant downtown.

“We love our sports, whether its soccer or hockey or basketball or football or baseball, we love our sports and that’s why we’re excited to have Fresno Falcons return to Selland Arena,” Dyer said.

About the Federal Prospects Hockey League

The Falcons’ first home game is set for October, and will play in the Federal Prospects Hockey League with 28 home games scheduled.

The FPHL, formerly known as the Federal Hockey League, is an independent professional minor league. FPHL Commissioner Donald Kirnan said Wednesday that the league has developed players for the National Hockey League and various Olympic teams.

Kirnan owns the teams but seeks out local ownership partners and sponsors. He said he is currently looking for interested local owners.

FPHL managing consultant Scott Brand said that a family could affordably get tickets, a cold drink, a hot dog, and “watch a fight or two.”

“This will be physical hockey,” Brand said. “They will be finishing their checks.”

During the 2025-26 season, the Single-A league has teams based in Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

On Monday, the league announced it had awarded a franchise to Oceanside, California, as it seeks to develop a West Coast footprint and eventually have 30 teams. On Wednesday, league officials cited Stockton as an expansion target, giving the Falcons a likely Valley rival.

Falcons’ History

The Falcons regularly packed Selland Arena in the 1960s and 1970s as members first of the semi-professional Cal-Neva and later the Pacific Southwest Hockey League. At that time, the arena seated about 5,500 fans for hockey.

The team dominated the “blood, sweat, and beers” PSHL, winning 10 championships over 20 years and engaging in bitter rivalries with Los Angeles teams. Under then- owner Jim Freeman, the Falcons recruited former American and Western Hockey League professionals to play for the team and live in Fresno or other California cities.

The Falcons later became charter members of the professional West Coast Hockey League, which lasted eight seasons. In 2002, the Falcons won the league’s Taylor Cup championship.

After the WCHL folded, the Falcons moved into the longstanding East Coast Hockey League in 2003 and played at the Save Mart Center. They returned to Selland for their final season, the 2008-09 campaign.

While in the ECHL, the Falcons had affiliations with the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks.