What Hockey Team Is in Rhode Island? (Pro, D1 College, Juniors)

Rhode Island is not a major hockey state. The “Ocean State” is known for its jewelry-making and gorgeous coastline.

But… Rhode Island does, in fact, have some great ice hockey. In fact, they even have their own professional team despite the fact that the state’s population is only 1.1 million people!

In this article, I’ll show you what pro hockey teams are in Rhode Island 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 Iowa, and What Hockey Team Is in Pennsylvania.

Let’s dive in.

Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Rhode Island:

While Connecticut doesn’t have an NHL team, they do have one pro hockey team: The Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL). They also have some great D1 college hockey teams: Brown University, Providence College, University of Rhode Island. They also have one Junior A hockey team: The Rhode Island HC.

Does Rhode Island Have a Hockey Team?

So, what is Rhode Island’s hockey team?

Rhode Island has several ice hockey teams. However, they don’t have any NHL teams as the state is quite small (almost 1.1 million people).

The top hockey team in Rhode Island is the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL).

The Providence Bruins are the affiliated farm team for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Here are the top college hockey teams in Rhode Island:

Brown University (NCAA D1)
Providence College (NCAA D1)
University of Rhode Island (ACHA D1)

Does Rhode Island Have an NHL Team?

So, will you find an NHL hockey team in Rhode Island?

The short answer is, no. Rhode Island’s population is just about 1 million people which is simply too small for an NHL hockey market. Plus, with the Boston Bruins so close to Rhode Island, it’s likely that the Bruins ownership wouldn’t want digging into their local market share.

What NHL Team Does Rhode Island Root For?

Rhode Island has never had its own NHL team. However, the Ocean State still has a very active NHL fanbase.

It’s simple: The Boston Bruins.

The Bruins are the closest NHL franchise to Rhode Island (they’re located next door in Massachusetts. Plus, Rhode Island’s AHL team – the Providence Bruins is the minor league farm team for the NHL’s Boston Bruins, so it makes sense that Rhode Island will root for the Boston Bruins.

What Hockey Teams Are in Rhode Island?

So, what hockey teams are in Rhode Island? The Ocean State has one professional hockey teams and several college and junior teams as listed below:

NHL

While Rhode Island has one professional hockey team, they, unfortunately, don’t have an NHL team. NHL fans in Rhode Island typically cheer for the Boston Bruins since they’re the closest geographical NHL team and the Bruins are the major league NHL affiliate of Rhode Island’s Providence Bruins (AHL).

AHL

Rhode Island has one professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL): The Providence Bruins. This is a high-level professional sports league just one step below the NHL.

So, where do the Providence Bruins play?

The Providence Bruins play their home games at the Amica Mutual Pavilion located at 1 La Salle Square, Providence, RI.

D1, D2, D3 College Hockey

While Rhode Island doesn’t have an NHL team, they do have some great high-level college hockey. The state has a variety of college hockey teams within D1, D2, D3 levels that compete within the NCAA and ACHA:

Brown University (NCAA Men’s D1)
Providence College (NCAA Men’s D1)
University of Rhode Island (ACHA Men’s D1)
Bryant University (ACHA Men’s D2)
Providence College (ACHA Men’s D2)
Roger Williams University (ACHA Men’s D2)
Johnson & Wales University – Providence (NCAA Men’s D3)
Salve Regina University (NCAA Men’s D3)

Juniors

There’s one junior ice hockey team in Rhode Island: The Rhode Island HC, a Junior A (Tier 1) hockey team based out of Warwick, RI. They play in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). The team was formed at the start of the 2022-23 season.

The Rhode Island HC play their home games at the Thayer Arena located at 975 Sandy Ln, Warwick, RI.

Is There High School Hockey in Rhode Island?

Yes, Rhode Island’s primary high school hockey system is run by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) Boys Hockey program.

There are a total of 24 high school hockey teams broken up into 3 divisions: Division I (11 teams), Division II (7 teams), and Division III (6 teams):

Division I:

Barrington
Bishop Hendricken
Burrillville
Cumberland
East Greenwich
La Salle Academy
Moses Brown
Mount Saint Charles Academy
Prout
Smithfield
Warwick

Division II:

Cranston
Lincoln
North Kingstown
North Smithfield – Johnston – North Providence
PCD – St. Raphael
Portsmouth
Roger/Middletown/Tiverton

Division III

Coventry
Mt. Hope – East Providence
Narragansett/Chariho
Ponaganset
South Kingstown
West Warwick/Exeter West Greenwich

Is Hockey Popular in Rhode Island?

Curious whether or not Rhode Island is a big hockey state?

Well, overall, even though Rhode Island is a smaller state (both geographically and in terms of population), hockey is still quite popular.

Rhode Island has one pro hockey team: The Providence Bruins. Plus they have some great D1 college hockey teams.

In 2022, WalletHub crunched the numbers to determine which cities were best for ice hockey fans. In the study, WalletHub ranked the top 72 cities in the U.S. They used 21 factors of what made a city a “good” hockey city. Some indicators included stadium capacity, ticket prices, and the performance of major teams.

Rhode Island had one city that ranked in the top 72: Providence, RI. The city ranks #46 out of 72 American cities.

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).