What Hockey Team Is in Arkansas? (Pro, College, Juniors)

Arkansas is one of the least-popular hockey states.

However, the Natural State got its first pro team back in 1998! The GlacierCats were a minor league team in the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL). They played between 1998 and 2000.

In today’s age, while Arkansas doesn’t have a high level pro team, they still have a few high-level hockey teams.

In this article, I’ll show you what hockey teams are in Arkansas and what college and junior teams compete in the state.

Pssssst! Are you curious about hockey teams in other U.S. states? You can learn more by checking out our other posts: What Hockey Team Is in Florida, What Hockey Team Is in Alaska, and What Hockey Team Is in Pennsylvania.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Arkansas:

While Arkansas doesn’t have an NHL team, its top team is the University of Arkansas men’s ice hockey team which is a D3 college hockey team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Their top high school hockey team is the Northwest Arkansas Hockey Ice Hogs. They compete in the Mid America High School Hockey League.

Does Arkansas Have a Hockey Team?

So, what is Arkansas’ top hockey team?

Arkansas only has a few high-level ice hockey teams. However, they don’t have an NHL team as it’s a smaller state (3 million people), and there are too many competing markets nearby (Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars).

The top hockey team in Arkansas is the University of Arkansas men’s ice hockey team. They compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) as a D3 team.

Arkansas’ top high school hockey team is the Northwest Arkansas Hockey Ice Hogs. They compete in the Mid America High School Hockey League.

Does Arkansas Have an NHL Team?

Wondering if you’ll find an NHL hockey team in Arkansas?

The short answer is, no. Arkansas’ population is about 3 million people which is a bit too small for an NHL team. Plus, they have too many nearby hockey markets like the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, and Nashville Predators.

Arkansas used to have a professional team back in the ‘90s: The Arkansas GlacierCats.

The GlacierCats were a minor league team that competed in the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) between 1998 and 2000. They played their home games at the Barton Coliseum in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The GlacierCats had to cease operations quickly due to the competition from the Arkansas RiverBlades of the ECHL (a higher level team) who competed across from downtown Little Rock on the other side of the Arkansas River. The ECHL’s RiverBlades played 3 seasons in North Little Rock.

What NHL Team Does Arkansas Root For?

Arkansas doesn’t have its own NHL team. However, The Natural State still has an active NHL fanbase.

The most popular NHL team for Arkanans is the St. Louis Blues. This is primarily due to the fact that the Blues (in St. Louis, MO) are quite close geographically to Arkansas, located about 5.5 hours of a drive away from Arkansas’ capital city, Little Rock. Plus, the Blues are the longest-running (nearby) NHL franchise.

The “runner-up” team would be the Dallas Stars and then the Nashville Predators.

What Hockey Teams Are in Arkansas?

So, what hockey teams are in Arkansas? The Natural State only has a handful of hockey teams as seen below:

NHL

Arkansas doesn’t have an NHL team.

AHL

Arkansas doesn’t currently have an American Hockey League (AHL) team. The AHL is a high-level professional sports league just one step below the NHL.

ECHL

Arkansas used to have a professional ice hockey team that competed in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). This is a mid-level professional sports league just one step below the AHL.

What was the name of the Arkansas ECHL team? Arkansas RiverBlades. They competed between 1999 and 2003.

So, where did the Arkansas RiverBlades play? The RiverBlades play their home games at Alltel Arena (now Simmons Bank Arena) in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

D3 College Hockey

While Arkansas doesn’t have a ton of high-level hockey, the state has one college hockey team that competes within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) in D3: the University of Arkansas men’s ice hockey team.

Juniors

Arkansas doesn’t have a current junior ice hockey team. However, they used to have one called the Texarkana Bandits.

The Bandits were a Tier II junior ice hockey team that competed in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in Texarkana, Arkansas. They played between 2003 and 2006 before relocating to St. Louis where they were renamed the St. Louis Bandits. The Bandits are now disbanded.

Is There High School Hockey in Arkansas?

Yes, there is high school hockey in Arkansas. While the Natural State doesn’t have a single governing body for all high school hockey, they’re led by one multistate league: The Mid America High School Hockey League (MAHSHL).

The MAHSL includes teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. Within each league, there are varsity and junior varsity sectors. Arkansas has a varsity and junior varsity team that compete in the MAHSHL from Northwest Arkansas Hockey (NWA).

In the Mid America High School Hockey League, there are 11 varsity teams:

Wichita
KC Stars
NWA (Northwest Arkansas Hockey)
KC Saints
Mid-Missouri
KC Knights
OKC
Rockhurst High School
Springfield
Tulsa
Carriage Club

In the Mid America High School Hockey League, there are 10 junior varsity teams:

NWA (Northwest Arkansas Hockey)
Wichita
Mid-Missouri
KC Stars JV1
St. Joseph
KC Knights
Rockhurst High School
KC Saints
OKC
KC Stars JV2

Is Hockey Popular in Arkansas?

So, do they play hockey in Arkansas?

To be honest, not really! They don’t have a single professional team. They don’t have a current junior team. And… They only have one single college hockey team that competes in the ACHA D3.

In 2022, WalletHub crunched the numbers to determine which hockey cities were best for fans of the sport. In the study, WalletHub ranked the top 72 cities in the U.S. They worked with 21 key indicators of what made a city a “good” hockey city. Different indicators included stadium capacity, ticket prices, and the performance of major teams, among many others.

Arkansas didn’t have a single city that ranked in the top 72. Overall, Arkansas is probably one of the least hockey-centric states in America. However, hockey is growing in the state and with a population of 3 million, there’s certainly room to grow.

Are you curious to know more about hockey in other states across the U.S.? Don’t forget to check out our full guide: Hockey Teams in Every U.S. State: Complete NHL & College List (2023)