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

Missouri’s NHL team has long been known for appearing in the Stanley Cup Finals time after time without getting a Stanley Cup.

That is, until the 2018-19 season. In June 2019, the Show-Me State got its first championship after 52 years of waiting led by Conn Smythe winner Ryan O’Reilly and goalie Jordan Binnginton.

The question is, what hockey teams are in Missouri?

In this article, I’ll show you what pro hockey teams are in Missouri 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 Tennessee, What Hockey Team Is in Arkansas.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Missouri:

Missouri has two professional hockey teams: St. Louis Blues (NHL) and Kansas City Mavericks (ECHL). The top NCAA D1 college hockey teams include Missouri State University (ACHA Men’s D1 and Maryville University (ACHA Men’s D1). The top junior ice hockey team is the Jr. St. Louis Blues of the NA3HL (Tier III league).

Does Missouri Have a Hockey Team?

So, does the Show-Me State have a hockey team?

Yes! The top hockey team in Missouri is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Missouri also has one other professional team: The Kansas City Mavericks of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).

The top D1 college hockey teams in Missouri include Missouri State University (ACHA Men’s D1 and Maryville University (ACHA Men’s D1).

The top junior ice hockey team in Missouri is the Jr. St. Louis Blues, a Tier III team in the NA3HL.

How Many Hockey Teams Are in Missouri?

Missouri has had professional hockey since 1967. Over the years, they’ve had dozens of different teams come through the state. In total, they have two pro hockey teams, seven varsity college hockey teams, and one junior ice hockey team.

Does Missouri Have an NHL Team?

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

Absolutely! Missouri is home to a 50-plus-year-old NHL team: The St. Louis Blues.

The Blues compete in the Central Division of the NHL’s Western Conference. The team was founded in 1967 during the ‘67 Expansion bringing the NHL from six teams to twelve.

The Blues have the most Stanley Cup playoff appearances of any team (besides the Original Six). In 2019, they won their first championship where they finally got to lift the Stanley Cup.

Some of the most famous St. Louis Blues players include:

Wayne Gretzky
Brett Hull
Martin Brodeur
Chris Pronger
Curtis Joseph
Adam Oates
Keith Tkachuk
Al MacInnis
Gary Unger
Brian Sutter
Bernie Federko

What Hockey Teams Are in Missouri?

Wondering what hockey teams are in Missouri?

In total, The Show-Me State has two professional ice hockey teams. Missouri also has 7 college hockey teams, and several other hockey teams as listed below:

NHL

Missouri has one team in the National Hockey League (NHL): The St. Louis Blues.

So, where do they play? The Blues play their home games at the Enterprise Center located at 1401 Clark Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103 in downtown St. Louis.

AHL

While Missouri has an NHL team, they don’t have an American Hockey League (AHL) team. The AHL is a high-level professional hockey league just one step below the NHL.

The NHL’s St. Louis Blues’ minor league farm team in the AHL is the Springfield Thunderbirds located in Springfield, Massachusetts.

ECHL

Missouri 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 Missouri ECHL team? Kansas City Mavericks. The Mavericks are the affiliated farm team for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds and the NHL’s Seattle Kraken.

So, where do they play? The Mavericks play their home games at Cable Dahmer Arena located at 19100 E Valley View Pkwy, Independence, MO 64055.

D1, D2, D3 College Hockey

Missouri has a total of 7 (D1, D2, D3) varsity college hockey teams that compete within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA):

Missouri State University (ACHA Men’s D1)
Maryville University (ACHA Men’s D1)

Lindenwood University (ACHA Men’s D2)
St. Louis University (ACHA Men’s D2)
University of Missouri (ACHA Men’s D3)
Missouri State University (ACHA Men’s D3)
Washington University in St. Louis (ACHA Men’s D3)

Juniors

While Missouri is better known for its college hockey, it has one junior ice hockey team: The St. Louis Jr. Blues. The Junior Blues play within the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL).

The NA3HL is a Tier III junior hockey league that spans the United States. In 1978, the Jr. St. Louis Blues were formed, 12 years after the NHL’s St. Louis Blues were formed.

Is There High School Hockey in Missouri?

Yes, there is high school hockey in Missouri. The state has two leagues: Mid-States Club Hockey Association (MSCHA) and the Mid America High School Hockey League. Both leagues are not sanctioned by Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) but they are sanctioned by USA Hockey.

Most of the high school hockey teams are located in the St. Louis area and are a part of the Mid-States Club Hockey Association. The Mid-States league has three divisions (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and B League).

Teams in the northwest, central, southwest, and western parts of Missouri are a part of the Mid America High School Hockey League. The Mid America league has two divisions (Varsity and Junior Varsity) and features high school teams from four states: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas.

Is Hockey Popular in Missouri?

So, do they play hockey in Missouri?

Absolutely! But.. just how popular is hockey in the Show-Me State? To find out just how popular hockey is in Missouri, 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.

Missouri had one city that ranked in the top 72. But… that team placed 4th overall. Can you guess which city it is? St. Louis!

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).