Hockey returns to the CSRA in the fall of 2027 when the Augusta Lynx, an affiliate of the NHL and AHL, will take to the ice and bring the much-loved sport back to the area. The ECHL team’s season will run from October to April, which includes thirty-six regular season home games, and will call Augusta’s new downtown arena home.
Team owners Tim Tebow and David Hodges have been pouring time, energy, and funds into developing the team and getting the community excited about what this means for Augusta. “When you draw a 20-mile circle around the center of Augusta, there is over a half a million people here and they’re hungry for hockey,” shares David. “So, Augusta really was a no-brainer for us. We feel like it’s the right market to bring professional hockey back to and a bonus is that it's close to our homes, so we can get back and forth to watch games and be a part of the community.”
During the initial stages of developing the team, they reached out to the community and asked for input on a team name and mascot. “We had an amazing response from the community on ideas for the team name,” says David. “The community really poured out in mass on their feelings, and we did our best to honor those suggestions.”
They also connected with other Augusta-based professional sports about the team’s logo and colors, which includes familiar shades of green and yellow often associated with Augusta, to promote continuity and positive camaraderie across the sports.
Tim and David, who are life-long friends and now business partners, are not new to hockey. They also co-own the Tahoe Knight Monsters, an ECHL team in Nevada, but the teams will be in different divisions. Although the men would love to see both teams play one another in the playoffs, their real heart behind the teams is to provide communities with a positive environment and great place to spend time together.
“Our goal is to create family friendly entertainment. You won't find anything that's offensive to families at our games and we're going to make it affordable and fun,” says David. “But, if you know Tim at all, you know we also want it to be competitive. We want to be a part of the community and make it a place where families are comfortable coming and where diehard hockey fans will also appreciate it because of the quality of hockey and the game day experience.”
Fans can see the Lynx by purchasing single game tickets or by taking advantage of season memberships and special ticket packages. Younger fans can look forward to special games just for them. “We’re planning to do a school day game or two where we play at one o'clock and we invite all the local schools and the kids come out,” says David.
Giving back to the community, both locally and globally, is a priority for Tim and David. In addition to donating a portion of the proceeds to local charities, the team will participate in programs like Hockey is for Everyone. The initiative strives to make hockey accessible for kids with disabilities and serve as an outreach to underrepresented and disadvantaged youth.
Another population who will greatly benefit from Augusta’s new team are those helped through the Tim Tebow Foundation. “Fighting for those MVPs is really why we get up every day and do what we do,” shares David. “It’s our why.” They do this by using profits from team to support the Tim Tebow Foundation, which is currently working in thirty-eight counties around the world to make a difference in the lives of so many.
To find out more about the Augusta Lynx and how to secure tickets to the team’s 2027 season, visit augustalynx.com and follow @agslynxhockey on social media.