By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
The New Mexico Goatheads answered the question fans have been asking since day one: Zack Stortini will be the first head coach in franchise history, the team announced Saturday at a packed reveal party at The Block in Rio Rancho.
Stortini, 40, played 257 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators across a 14-season professional career and won two Calder Cup championships in the AHL, including a 2019 title with the Charlotte Checkers. Most recently he served as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners after three seasons with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.
General Manager Jared Johnson said the Colorado Avalanche — the Goatheads’ NHL affiliate — brought Stortini to the team’s attention late in a search that drew nearly 30 candidates. “Before we talk systems, contracts or any details,” Johnson recalled, “[Stortini] said a couple simple words: ‘I want to be your head coach.’ In that moment, we knew we had our guy.”
Stortini told the crowd at The Block he plans to build a fast, gritty team — and he wants fans to be part of it. “We need your energy. We need your support and we need your unwavering passion to push this team to achieve great things,” he said. “You guys are the lifeblood that is going to make this a special year.”
Saturday’s event also doubled as the first jersey reveal. Fan Keenan Stewart was among the first in line. “New Mexicans need something to rally around,” Stewart said, already wearing his new maroon Goatheads jersey. “Get the puck sliding — as one would say.”
More details
- Opening Night is Friday, Oct. 16 at the Rio Rancho Events Center — the first game in franchise history
- Opening Weekend is presented by Del Norte Credit Union and includes a 6,000 LED glow rod giveaway (Friday), rally towels (Saturday) and team posters (Sunday)
- The Goatheads have sold more than 1,700 season ticket deposits and rank second in the ECHL in corporate partnerships
New Mexico Goatheads — Opening Weekend
Oct. 16–18, 2026 | Rio Rancho Events Center
Season tickets: nmgoatheads.com/tickets