What Hockey Team Is in Michigan? (NHL, AHL, College, Juniors)

There’s only one place in America named “Hockeytown”: Detroit, Michigan.

The Wolverine State got its first professional hockey team almost 100 years ago, in 1926!

Michigan is known as one of the top hockey states in the United States. They have the third most pro hockey teams of any state, some of the best college hockey teams in America, and have had some of the best players in the world play for their junior teams.

The question is, what hockey teams are in Michigan?

In this article, I’ll show you what pro hockey teams are in Michigan and what college and junior teams compete in the state (including multiple D1 hockey teams).

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 Missouri, and What Hockey Team Is in Pennsylvania.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Michigan:

Michigan has five professional hockey teams: Detroit Red Wings (NHL), Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL), The Motor City Rockers (FPHL), and the Port Huron Prowlers (FPHL). Some of the top NCAA D1 college hockey teams include the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Northern Michigan University. The top junior hockey teams are the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USHL – Tier I) and the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL – Tier I).

Does Michigan Have a Hockey Team?

So, does the Wolverine State have a hockey team?

The top hockey team in Michigan is the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Michigan also has four other professional teams: The Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL), The Motor City Rockers (FPHL), and the Port Huron Prowlers (FPHL).

Some of the top NCAA D1 college hockey teams in Michigan include the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Northern Michigan University

The top junior ice hockey teams in Michigan are the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USHL – Tier I) and the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL – Tier I).

How Many Hockey Teams Are in Michigan?

Michigan has one of the greatest hockey systems in the U.S. In total, the state has 5 professional hockey teams, 41 college hockey teams, 7 junior ice hockey teams, and hundreds of high school hockey teams.

Does Michigan Have an NHL Team?

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

100%! Michigan is home to one of the longest-serving NHL franchises: The Detroit Red Wings.

The Red Wings compete in the Atlantic Division of the NHL’s Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1926, which makes them the fourth oldest active NHL team. They’re also the second oldest American NHL team, just behind the Boston Bruins (founded 1924).

Originally named the Detroit Cougars (then Falcons) before settling on the “Red Wings” in 1932, the team is also a member of the Original Six. They share a spot in the Original Six with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and Montreal Canadiens.

The Red Wings have won a total of eleven Stanley Cup championships which is third most of any franchise (and first for American NHL teams). Their last championship was in 2008 when the Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games.

Some of the most famous Detroit Red Wings players include:

Gordie Howe
Steve Yzerman
Nicklas Lidstrom
Sergei Fedorov
Brendan Shanahan
Pavel Datsyuk
Chris Chelios
Henrik Zetterberg
Chris Osgood
Red Kelly
Sid Abel
Alex Delvecchio
Ted Lindsay
Terry Sawchuk

What Hockey Teams Are in Michigan?

So, what hockey teams are in Michigan?

In total, The Wolverine State has five professional ice hockey teams which is the third most of any state (New York has the most with ten pro teams. California has eight pro teams). Michigan also has 41 college hockey teams, and several other high-level hockey teams as listed below:

NHL

Michigan has one team in the National Hockey League (NHL): The Detroit Red Wings.

So, where do they play? The Red Wings play their home games at the Little Caesars Arena located at 2645 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201 in downtown Detroit.

AHL

Michigan has one professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). This is a high-level professional hockey league just one step below the NHL.

What is the name of the Michigan AHL team? The Grand Rapids Griffins. They’re the affiliated minor league farm team for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.

So, where do they play? The Griffins play their home games at Van Andel Arena located at 130 Fulton St W, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

ECHL

Michigan has one professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). This is a mid-level professional hockey league just one step below the AHL.

What is the name of the Michigan ECHL team? Kalamazoo Wings. The Wings are the affiliated farm team for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.

So, where do they play? The Wings play their home games at Wings Event Center located at 3600 Vanrick Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49001.

FPHL

Michigan has two professional ice hockey teams in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL). This is a low-level professional hockey league 4 steps below the NHL (NHL>AHL>ECHL>SPHL>FPHL).

What are the names of the Michigan FPHL teams? The Motor City Rockers and the Port Huron Prowlers.

So, where do they play? The Rockers play their home games at the Big Boy Arena located at 34400 Utica Rd, Fraser, MI 48026. The Prowlers play their home games at McMorran Place located at 701 McMorran Blvd, Port Huron, MI 48060.

D1 College Hockey

Michigan has one of the most robust college systems in America. The state has a total of 9 (D1, D3) varsity college hockey teams that compete within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The state also has 28 (D1, D2, D3) varsity college hockey teams that compete within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and 4 teams that compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

In total, Michigan has 41 varsity college hockey teams that compete in D1, D2, and D3 levels.

Michigan NCAA D1 College Hockey Teams:

University of Michigan (NCAA Men’s D1)
Michigan State University (NCAA Men’s D1)
Northern Michigan University (NCAA Men’s D1)
Western Michigan University (NCAA Men’s D1)
Michigan Technological University (NCAA Men’s D1)
Ferris State University (NCAA Men’s D1)
Lake Superior State University (NCAA Men’s D1)

Michigan ACHA D1 College Hockey Teams:

Grand Valley State University (ACHA Men’s D1)
Davenport University (ACHA Men’s D1)
Western Michigan University (ACHA Men’s D1)
Cleary University (ACHA Men’s D1)
Adrian College (ACHA Men’s D1)
Concordia University Ann Arbor (ACHA Men’s D1)
Eastern Michigan University (ACHA Men’s D1)
University of Michigan-Dearborn (ACHA Men’s D1)
Lawrence Tech (ACHA Men’s D1)
Rochester University (ACHA Men’s D1)

D2 College Hockey

Michigan has five D2 college hockey teams.

Michigan ACHA D2 College Hockey Teams:

Davenport University (ACHA Men’s D2)
Central Michigan University (ACHA Men’s D2)
Michigan State University (ACHA Men’s D2)
Adrian College (ACHA Men’s D2)
University of Michigan (ACHA Men’s D2)

D3 College Hockey

Michigan has nineteen D3 college hockey teams.

Michigan NCAA D3 College Hockey Teams:

Adrian College (NCAA Men’s D3)
Finlandia University (NCAA Men’s D3)

Michigan ACHA D3 College Hockey Teams:

Hope College (ACHA Men’s D3)
Grand Valley State University (ACHA Men’s D3)
Davenport University (ACHA Men’s D3)
Western Michigan University (ACHA Men’s D3)
Ferris State University (ACHA Men’s D3)
Central Michigan University (ACHA Men’s D3)
Saginaw Valley State University (ACHA Men’s D3)
Michigan State University (ACHA Men’s D3)
University of Michigan – Flint (ACHA Men’s D3)
Oakland University (ACHA Men’s D3)
Lawrence Technological University (ACHA Men’s D3)
University of Michigan (ACHA Men’s D3)
Adrian College (ACHA Men’s D3)

Michigan NAIA D3 College Hockey Teams:

Aquinas College – Michigan (NAIA Men’s D3)
Cleary University (NAIA Men’s D3)
Concordia University – Ann Arbor (NAIA Men’s D3)
Lawrence Technological University (NAIA Men’s D3)

Juniors

While Michigan is better known for its college hockey, it has some of the best high-level junior hockey teams in America.

Michigan has a total of 7 junior hockey teams spread across the United States Hockey League (USHL), the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL):

USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USHL – Tier I)
Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL – Tier I)
Soo Eagles (NOJHL – Tier II)
Battle Creek Kernels (USPHL – Premier Tier III)
Metro Jets (USPHL – Premier Tier III)
Metro Jets Development Program(USPHL – Premier Tier III)
Motor City Gamblers(USPHL – Premier Tier III)

Is There High School Hockey in Michigan?

Yes, there is high school hockey in Michigan. The state’s high school hockey is governed by Michigan High School Hockey Hub (MHSHH). The official website is Mihshockeyhub. The MHSHH is one of the biggest state high school hockey organizations in the United States.

The league is sanctioned by USA Hockey and has a few hundred teams split between three conferences: Division I, Division II, and Division III.

Is Hockey Popular in Michigan?

So, do they play hockey in Michigan?

The short answer is, yes! In fact, it’s one of the most popular hockey states in America.

To find out just how popular hockey is in Michigan, let’s look at some data!

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.

Michigan’s most popular hockey city is Detroit, at number 3, only behind Boston (#1) and Pittsburgh (#2). Michigan ties Massachusetts for the 2nd most cities of any state in the top 72 (8 cities):

Detroit (#3)
Ann Arbor (#26)
Houghton (#27)
East Lansing (#34)
Big Rapids (#36)
Sault Ste. Marie (#41)
Marquette (#62)
Kalamazoo (#70)

So, is hockey famous in Michigan? Absolutely. Michigan is arguably the greatest state in America for hockey fans and hockey players—although folks from Minnesota and Massachusetts would likely disagree!

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).