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

Hawaii is America’s little patch of paradise.

Tropical climate. Hot sun. Gorgeous beaches. Just a quick flight and you’re in vacation mode.

The question is… does the Aloha State have hockey? And if so, what hockey teams play there?

In this article, I’ll show you what hockey teams are in Hawaii 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 Kentucky, and What Hockey Team Is in Pennsylvania.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Hawaii:

While Hawaii doesn’t have an NHL team, its top teams play within the Ice Palace Hawaii Youth Hockey (IPHYH) youth hockey and the Hawaiian Hockey Club (HHC) which has hockey for adults.

What NHL Team Does Hawaii Root For?

Hawaii doesn’t have its own NHL team. However, the Aloha State still has a (small) active NHL fanbase.

There isn’t really a consensus #1 NHL team that Hawaiians cheer for. However, one of the most popular NHL teams for Hawaii is the Anaheim Ducks and the New York Rangers.

Is There Any Hockey in Hawaii?

So, what hockey teams are in Hawaii? The Aloha State only has a few options when it comes to ice hockey, as the only hockey rink is on the island of Oahu. There’s the Ice Palace Hawaii Youth Hockey (IPHYH) which has youth hockey and the Hawaiian Hockey Club (HHC) which has hockey for adults.

Is There High School Hockey in Hawaii?

No, there isn’t high school hockey in Hawaii yet. Hockey is still quite new to the 50th state. The best alternative to high school hockey in Hawaii is the Ice Palace Hawaii Youth Hockey Club on the island of Oahu. They have programs for kids aged 4-18.

Is There Youth Hockey in Hawaii?

Wondering if there’s youth hockey in Hawaii?

There certainly is! While it’s not easy finding youth programs, if you’re on the island of O’ahu, you can play youth hockey within the Ice Palace Hawaii Youth Hockey (IPHYH).

The youth hockey organization offers three programs:

FUNdamentals: Ages 4-10 & 11-16 ($165 for once a week)
Keanu: Ages 5-9 ($265 Skaters, $165 Goalies Twice Per Week)
Menehune: Ages 10-13 ($265 Skaters, $165 Goalies Twice Per Week)
Ali’i: Ages 14-18 ($265 Skaters, $165 Goalies Twice Per Week)

For Keanu, Menehune and Ali’i programs, players have one day dedicated each week to practicing skills and doing drills, and one day each week dedicated to playing a full game.

The Ice Palace Hawaii program states their goal is to “provide a fun, safe environment for hockey instruction emphasizing skill development and promoting values-based life lessons; including the importance of hard work, dedication to goals, good sportsmanship, and self-discipline.”

What Ice Hockey Players Are from Hawaii?

So, who are the most famous hockey players from Hawaii?

Well, hockey is still relatively new to the Aloha State. In fact, according to USA Hockey’s registration statistics, only 25 total players are registered for hockey in the state. To put that in perspective, Alaska has 8,130, Nevada has 5,342, and Oregon has 2,672 which are some of the lowest states.

While Hawaii has had some high level hockey players from Hawaii, they do have one professional hockey player to grow up in the state.

Jessica Koizumi is a pro ice hockey player and coach from Honolulu, Hawaii. Over the years, Koizumi has had quite the career. She played for the Connecticut Whale of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF), Minnesota Whitecaps in the Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL), Boston Blades and Montreal Stars in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL).

Koizumi scored the very first goal in Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) history during the league’s first game where the Connecticut Whale faced off against the New York Riveters.

She also competed in the 2008 IIHF Women’s World Championships for Team USA and won the gold medal.

Koizumi currently serves as the assistant coach of the Vermont Catamounts women’s ice hockey program.

What Other Hockey Is in Hawaii?

Another popular hockey organization in Hawaii is the Hawaiian Hockey Club (HHC). According to their website, The HHC “is a social club that promotes camaraderie among Hawaii’s ice hockey players, supports youth programs, and provides organizational assistance to out-of-state teams desiring to play in Honolulu.”

Is Hockey Popular in Hawaii?

So, do they play hockey in Hawaii?

Yes they do! While Hawaii doesn’t have many hockey players or fans, the state still has some ice hockey you can play and watch.

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.

Hawaii didn’t have a single city in the top 72 list… However, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise since it’s a tropical island with a hot climate and only 1.4 million people.

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