NAHL team in Greeley, Colorado approved for the 2023-24 season

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) has announced that its Board of Governors has approved the membership application for an NAHL team in Greeley, Colorado owned by Colorado Grit, LLC, an entity owned and operated by Bob Bowden and David Clarkson.
 
The team will be known as the Colorado Grit and will compete in the South Division beginning in the 2023-24 season out of the Greeley Ice Haus in Greeley, Colorado.
 
The Colorado Grit, LLC, ownership group and key personnel all have a passion for hockey and helping players develop and pursue their hockey goals. Besides a great passion for hockey, the group has a strong financial
background, strong business experience and player development experience at the Junior, Professional, and AAA/Tier I levels.
 
CEO and Owner Bob Bowden is the Founder and Owner of B2B Builders, Bowden Properties, and Bowden Custom Homes in Aspen, Colorado. Established 1998 to Present. He also serves as Executive VP of Sencore, Inc., an electronic testing device manufacturer. Chief Hockey Officer and Owner David Clarkson had the opportunity to play in the NHL for 12 years and has spent the last five years as a dedicated youth coach, in addition to currently volunteering as a coach for the Colorado Warriors Hockey team.
 
The Greeley Ice Haus lends itself well to house a NAHL team with 1,200+ seat capacity, boxes, concessions, built out locker rooms, and offices all situated in a downtown backdrop with bars, restaurants, and hotels within steps of the facility. The venue is in the City of Greeley about 50 miles Northeast of Denver. Greeley is in Weld County with a local population over 300,000 and is considered the fourth fastest growth area in the USA. This community has grown immensely over the last decade but has kept its small community culture.
 
“We are excited to grow the NAHL towards the west with likeminded owners interested in putting the players and the community first. The Colorado Grit will be the NAHL’s first-ever team based in the State of Colorado and will create natural rivalries with those teams in the Western part of the South Division,” said NAHL Commissioner and President Mark Frankenfeld. “In addition, the team is in close proximity to three, high-level NCAA Division I hockey programs, which will bring more eyes on every player that plays in the South Division.”
 
The Colorado Grit will be the ninth team in the NAHL’s South Division. The South Division currently has eight teams, including: Amarillo Wranglers (Amarillo, TX), Corpus Christi IceRays (Corpus Christi, TX), El Paso Rhinos (El Paso, TX), Lone Star Brahmas (North Richland Hills, TX), New Mexico Ice Wolves (Albuquerque, NM), Odessa Jackalopes (Odessa, TX), Oklahoma Warriors (Oklahoma City, TX), Shreveport Mudbugs (Shreveport, LA). Five of the last 10 Robertson Cup National Champions have come from the South Division.
 
“Our group is very excited for the opportunity to join the league and provide great NAHL hockey to the Greeley community.  We intend to provide the resources for long-term success and intend to establish a program both the Colorado Hockey Community and the NAHL will be proud of,” stated Bowden.