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

In 1932, Maryland got its first pro hockey team.

The Baltimore Orioles were the first professional minor league team in the Old Line state. They played out of Carlin’s Iceland—an old indoor arena in Baltimore.

The Orioles won the EAHL championship back in 1939-40 but were disbanded in 1942 due to several players enlisting in World War II.

While the Orioles are long gone at this point, Maryland has had its fair share of high-level hockey over the years.

In this article, I’ll show you what pro hockey teams are in Maryland and what D1 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 New Jersey, and What Hockey Team Is in Pennsylvania.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Maryland:

While Maryland doesn’t have an NHL team, their top hockey teams are the United States Naval Academy and Towson University (D1 college teams in the ACHA). The top junior hockey team is the Maryland Black Bears (NAHL Tier II).

Does Maryland Have a Hockey Team?

So, what is Maryland’s hockey team?

Maryland has dozens of different ice hockey teams. However, they don’t have an NHL team as the state has too many competing NHL teams nearby including the next-door neighbor Washington Capitals.

The top hockey teams in Maryland are Towson University and the United States Naval Academy which are both D1 college teams that compete within the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

The top junior hockey team in Maryland is a Tier II team–the Maryland Black Bears. They compete in the North American Hockey League.

Does Maryland Have an NHL Team?

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

The short answer is, no. It would be highly unlikely for Maryland to get its own NHL team at this point as the new team would have to tap into a large portion of the Washington Capital’s market share.

What NHL Team Does Maryland Root For?

Maryland has never had its own NHL team. However, the Old Line State still has a very active NHL fanbase.

The favorite NHL team in Maryland is simple: The Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are the closest NHL franchise to Maryland (the Capital One Center in Washington, D.C. is located just 20 minutes away from the Maryland border.

What Hockey Teams Are in Maryland?

So, what hockey teams are in Maryland? The Old Line State has several college and junior teams as listed below:

NHL

While Maryland has a few professional ice hockey teams, they unfortunately don’t have an NHL team. NHL fans in Maryland almost unanimously cheer for the Washington Capitals since they’re the closest geographical NHL team to the state.

In fact, the Washington Capitals actually played their home games in Maryland for the first part of their existence. Between 1974 and 1997, the Capitals played home games at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland before moving to the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in 1997.

AHL

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

However, Maryland used to have three different AHL teams over the years, all based out of the capital city, Baltimore:

Baltimore Clippers (1962-1976)
Baltimore Skipjacks (1982-1993)
Baltimore Bandits (1995-1997)

ECHL

Maryland doesn’t have a professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). This is a mid-level professional sports league just one step below the AHL.

However, the state used to have one team in the ECHL: The Chesapeake Icebreakers. They played out of Marlboro Maryland between 1997 and 1999.

SPHL

Maryland doesn’t have a team in the SPHL.

FPHL

Maryland doesn’t have a team in the FPHL.

D1, D2, D3 College Hockey

While Maryland doesn’t have an NHL team, there is some high-level college hockey in the state. Maryland has several college hockey teams within D1, D2, and D3 levels that compete within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA):

Towson University (ACHA Men’s D1)
United States Naval Academy (ACHA Men’s D1)
Stevenson University (ACHA Men’s D2)
University of Maryland (ACHA Men’s D2)
Stevenson University (ACHA Men’s D3)
United States Naval Academy (ACHA Men’s D3)
Stevenson University (NCAA Men’s D3)

Juniors

While Maryland is better known for its college hockey, it has a few junior ice hockey teams as well. Maryland has two junior hockey teams split between the North American Hockey League (NAHL – Tier II) and Eastern Hockey League (Tier III):

Maryland Black Bears (NAHL – Tier II)
Team Maryland (EHL – Tier III)

Is There High School Hockey in Maryland?

The top high school hockey league in Maryland is the Maryland Student Hockey League (MSHL). It’s the biggest high school hockey league in Maryland that’s sanctioned by USA Hockey.

There are 44 varsity teams broken up into 5 divisions:

Eastern Division

South River
Severna park
Easton
HarCo
Spalding 2
Arundel/Chessie
Broadneck
Crofton
Annapolis/Chessie
Kent Island
Queen Anne’s County
St. Mary’s

Howard Division

Wolves
Glenelg
River Hill
Reservoir
Marriotts Ridge
Hammers

Monocacy Valley Division

Oakdale
Carroll County
Middletown
Washington County
Urbana
Frederick County

Montgomery 1 Division

Walter Johnson
Winston Churchill
Bethesda/Chevy Chase
Walt Whitman
Upper Montgomery
Wootton
Montgomery Blair

Montgomery 2 Division

Quince Orchard
Richard Montgomery
Sherwood
DC Stars
St. Johns 2
Rockville/Magruder
Northwest

Southern Division

Leonardtown
Central MD
La Plata
Northern
Huntingtown
Charles County

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).