Junior ice hockey is skating back into the Houston area, with a familiar franchise packing up its gear and heading south. The North Iowa Bulls are relocating to the Houston region and will play home games at a new rink in Richmond starting with the 2026-27 NAHL season. The club will be reborn as the Houston Bulls and slotted into the NAHL's South Division.
League board signs off on move
The NAHL’s Board of Governors has signed off on the relocation, shifting the team from Mason City, Iowa, to the Houston metro for the 2026-27 season, according to NAHL. League officials said the Bulls will play at the Deep South Ice & Sports Center in Richmond and compete in the South Division, framing the move as part of the NAHL’s ongoing push into southern U.S. markets.
Deep South Ice will be the home rink
The Deep South Ice & Sports Center is planned as a roughly 150,000-square-foot complex slated to open in summer 2026. The facility is set to feature an 1,800-seat arena, 14 suites, two party decks and a second NHL-sized practice sheet, the team said in a press release. "We are excited to bring NAHL hockey to the Houston area and to be part of a rapidly growing hockey market," Tyler Shaffar said in the announcement, which also noted the club expects to deliver more than 30 home nights a season. The organization has named Devon Buckland vice president to oversee operations as it builds out a local front office and community programs, per the North Iowa Bulls' release.
What stays in Mason City
Junior hockey is not leaving Mason City altogether. The NA3HL Mason City Toros will remain in town and will be rebranded as the North Iowa Bulls beginning with the 2026-27 season, the club said. Local coverage of the move has zeroed in on Richmond’s expanding sports presence and how the timing lines up with the opening of the new facility, as reported by Houston Public Media.
Tickets, schedule and rivalries
The Bulls say they expect to skate on home ice more than 30 nights each season and are preparing season-ticket and partnership options. Fans are being directed to houstonbullsnahl.com for updates. The move drops the franchise into the middle of the South Division and sets up regional matchups across Texas and neighboring states. Team spokespeople said they plan to work with local youth programs to develop both a fan base and a player pipeline into junior hockey.
"We are excited for the Bulls organization and their next step in developing college-ready athletes," NAHL President and Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld said in the league statement, which also outlined South Division membership and the relocation timeline. League and team officials said they will release schedules and ticket information as Deep South Ice’s construction nears completion this summer.
