South Dakota

South Dakota is a state in the north-central United States.

Its population is about 880,000.

The capital is Pierre and the largest city is Sioux Falls.

History of hockey in South Dakota

see also: South Dakota Amateur Hockey (1947-1955)

There was a hockey game played in Lead, a small town near the Wyoming border, on February 10, 1905, the Town team edging Golden Star 2-1. Town and Golden Star tied 1-1 a week later. There were plans for Lead and the nearby town of Deadwood to face each other on February 20, but the match was cancelled due to poor ice. On February 12, 1911, Lead and Deadwood tied 2-2, but Lead scored another goal in an additional few minutes of play, after the game. Lead and Deadwood were set to play again on January 6, 1912, but the latter team did not show up to the rink. There were plans to organize a league in Sioux Falls in 1915, but nothing came of it. On February 17, 1918, a St. Paul, Minnesota, team thrashed Sioux Falls 15-6 on Covell's Lake.

The Nineteenth Street and Covell's Lake teams of Sioux Falls played to a tie on February 4, 1923, and Covell's Lake earned a win over them the following week. Covell's Lake beat Nineteenth Street again on February 18, 3-1. On February 10, 1924, Sioux Falls defeated Dell Rapids 2-1 as part of an ice carnival. The teams played a return game two weeks later, Sioux Falls winning 1-0 in double overtime. Aberdeen reportedly had four teams in 1925. On January 31, 1926, the Covell's Lake team of Sioux Falls beat Dell Rapids 3-2. Covell's Lake nipped Nineteenth Street 2-0 on January 16, 1927. They blanked Nineteenth Street again on the 19th, 4-0. On February 20, Covell's Lake beat the Campbell Bakery sextet of Sioux City, Iowa, 4-2. Nineteen Street edged Covell 1-0 on March 1.

In the Sioux City, Iowa, Ice Carnival, the Sioux Falls Blackhawks beat Alton (IA) 2-0, and fell to the Sioux City Elks 2-1 in the final on January 28, 1928. On the 29th, the Covell's Lake team defeated the Sioux City Elks 2-1. Meanwhile, Sioux Falls Orange and Black (which played as the Blackhawks at Sioux City), thrashed Worthington, MN, 11-1. On January 13, 1929, the Sioux Falls Blackhawks tied LeMars (IA) 1-1. The following week, Akron (IA) edged the Sioux Falls State Meat Market 2-1. The South Dakota School of Mines beat Rapid City 3-0 on the 27th at the Black Hills Winter Sports Carnival. On February 3, the Sioux Falls Blackhawks tied the Brookings All Stars 1-1. The Blackhawks had another 1-1 deadlock with Dell Rapids on the 8th, and drew yet again with LeMars (IA) on the 10th. Two weeks later, the Sioux Falls Meat Market beat Akron (IA) 3-0, while the Blackhawks finally got a win, 4-2 over Dell Rapids. The Black Hills Hockey League was formed in 1930, featuring teams from Belle Fourche, Sturgis, Lead, Ft. Meade, Rapid City, Custer and Hot Springs.

The Rapid City Rush competed in the Central Hockey League from 2008-2014, and have played in the ECHL since 2014. At the junior level, the Sioux Falls Stampede have been members of the United States Hockey League since 1999, and the Aberdeen Wings have played in the North American Hockey League since 2010. The Augustana Vikings began play at the Division I collegiate level in 2023.

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