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


It took a while for Louisiana to get its first professional hockey team. In 1995, the ECHL introduced the Louisiana IceGators to the hockey world in Lafayette.

Over the years, the Pelican State has had several pro hockey teams that have come and gone.

Fast-forward to the 2020s, and, while Louisiana doesn’t currently have a top-tier pro team, they still have a few high-level hockey teams (and will be getting a new pro team in 2023).

In this article, I’ll show you what hockey teams are in Louisiana, what college and junior teams compete in the state, and the pro team the state will be getting in 2023.

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 New Hampshire, and  What Hockey Team Is in Pennsylvania.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Louisiana:

While Louisiana doesn’t have an NHL team, its top teams are the Shreveport Mudbugs and the Louisiana Drillers (NAHL Tier II Junior Hockey). In 2023, the new top hockey team will be a professional hockey team based out of Baton Rouge that competes in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL).

Does Louisiana Have a Hockey Team?

So, what is Louisiana’s top hockey team?

Louisiana only has a few high-level ice hockey teams. However, they don’t have an NHL team as it’s a smaller state (4.6 million people).

The top hockey teams in Louisiana are the Shreveport Mudbugs and the Louisiana Drillers. These are Tier II junior ice hockey teams that compete in the North American Hockey League. In the near future (2023), the top hockey team will be a professional hockey team based out of Baton Rouge that competes in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL).

Does Louisiana Have an NHL Team?

So, will you find an NHL hockey team in Louisiana?

Unfortunately, no. Louisiana’s population is about 4.6 million people which is just a bit too small for an NHL team, let alone any major sports team.

Louisiana has had several professional teams over the years in multiple leagues including the ECHL, and SPHL, and will soon have a team in the FPHL.

What NHL Team Does Louisiana Root For?

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

The most popular NHL team for Louisianians is the Dallas Stars. This is primarily due to the fact that the Stars (in Dallas, TX) are quite close geographically to Louisiana and are the closest NHL team to the state.

The “runner-up” team would be the Washington Capitals.

What Hockey Teams Are in Louisiana?

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

NHL

Louisiana doesn’t have an NHL team.

AHL

Louisiana also doesn’t have an American Hockey League (AHL) team.

ECHL

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

1. Louisiana IceGators: The IceGators played in Lafayette, Louisiana out of The Cajundome. The team played in the ECHL from 1995 to 2005.

2. New Orleans Brass: The Brass played in New Orleans, Louisiana out of New Orleans Arena. They played between 1997 and 2002. The IceHawks were the affiliated minor league team to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

3. Baton Rouge Kingfish: The Kingfish played in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the ECHL out of Riverside Centroplex. They played between 1996 to 2003.

SPHL 

Louisiana used to have one professional ice hockey team that competed in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). The SPHL is a lower-level professional sports league just one step below the ECHL.

The Louisiana IceGators played in the SPHL between 2009 and 2016. They were based out of Lafayette, Louisiana.

FPHL

Right below the SPHL is the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). This is a lower-level professional hockey league located in the eastern United States

What is the name of the Louisiana FPHL team? Technically speaking, Louisiana’s FPHL team doesn’t have a name yet. This is because the team hasn’t been formally accepted into the league quite yet. However, they are listed on the FPHL website under “Future Markets” and will start their first season in 2023. The head coach will be Barry Soskin.

Even though the team hasn’t officially been launched, its location has already been determined to be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

So, where will the Baton Rouge FPHL team play? The future FPHL team in Louisiana will play their home games at the Raising Cane’s River Center Arena located at 275 S River Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70802.

D1, D2, D3 College Hockey

While Louisiana is better known for its junior hockey, it, unfortunately, doesn’t have any scholastic college hockey programs at its universities.

Juniors

Despite not having any college hockey, Louisiana has a few junior ice hockey teams that play within the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL):

  • Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL – Tier II)
  • Louisiana Drillers (NA3HL – Tier II)

Louisiana used to have another Tier III hockey team in Carencro, Louisiana, called the Cajun Catahoulas. They played between 2005 and 2009 before moving to Texas to become the Texas Renegades.

Is There High School Hockey in Louisiana?

No, there isn’t a single organization that runs high school hockey in Louisiana yet. However, you can still find hockey at different schools throughout the state.

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).

Sources

https://www.mudbugshockey.com/

http://na3hl.com/teams/team-detail.cfm?id=248

https://www.ncsasports.org/mens-hockey/colleges

https://blog.hockeymap.com/2018/08/acha-college-hockey-teams-map-list.html

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