Hockey around the world

This page documents the ice hockey activities (or lack thereof) in every country in the world. Information is also included on worldwide ice rinks - ranging from full-sized arenas with actual ice to portable rinks in malls with synthetic ice and seasonal outdoor facilities.

A

• Afghanistan: There was an ice rink in Kabul, but it was closed and later destroyed. There were ball hockey rinks in Kabul and Kandahar. The latter rink, located at the Kandahar Air Field, was completed in late 2006. Ball hockey is played on a hard concrete floor with players wearing sneakers and a hard plastic ball being utilized. As of 2010, a competition, known colloquially as the Kandahar Hockey League, ran for two hockey "seasons" a year - each comprising an approximately 24-game schedule played over four months. 24 teams, divided into A, B, and C leagues based on skill level, played in the league in 2010. 21 of the teams were Canadian, and was rounded out by two Slovak and one American side. In the winter of 2011, 31 teams participated in the league. The Kandahar rink was not used much after the Canadian troops' combat mission ended in July 2011. The last game was played on the rink in December 2016, and it was dismantled on the 27th. The boards from it were installed at the Hockey Hall of Fame. In December 2016, there was an outdoor ice rink built in Bamyan. The Canadian Embassy in Afghanistan and the Conversation Organization for Afghan Mountain Areas (COAM) facilitated the project, which was aimed at young women ages 10 to 25. The girls received ice skating lessons and were also introduced to the basics of ice hockey. Afghanistan has been a member of the Federation of International Bandy since 2012. There have been talks of Afghanistan forming a national bandy team composed of Afghan citizens living in Karlstad, Sweden, to possibly participate in the World Bandy Championships. The national team, represented by players from AFG Karlstad Bandy, made its international debut on February 25, 2016, falling to Somalia 15-0.
• Albania: There is an ice rink located in the Citypark Mall in the capital of Tirana. The winter resort of Voskopoje, located near the Greece/Macedonian border, has some skiing and in 2005 they tried to convert the local football field into a skating rink for a short time during the winter. The Pogradec lake has also been used for skating.
• Algeria: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Algeria.
• Andorra: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Andorra.
• Angola: On February 17, 2012, an ice rink opened at the Belas Shopping mall in the capital of Luanda.. The sport of roller hockey is played in the country. In 2006 Luanda was the host for the first World Roller Club Championships. 12 teams from seven countries participated. In 1992, Angola finished ninth at the Summer Olympics, where roller hockey was a demonstration sport.
• Antigua and Barbuda: There are no ice rinks and no hockey is played. However, in March 2014 it was reported that the chairman behind a planned hotel, the Beaches Resort, intended to include an ice rink among the attractions.
• Argentina: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Argentina.
• Armenia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Armenia.
• Australia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Australia.
• Austria: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Austria.
• Azerbaijan: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Azerbaijan.

B

• Bahamas: There is a rink at the Breezes Resort in Nassau. The rink measures 1,600 sq ft and features a synthetic ice surface. Ice hockey skates, sticks, and pucks are given to guests during their stay, and clinics are offered regularly. No competitive games are played.
• Bahrain: The country has a recreational league, sponsored by DHL, known as the Bahrain Ice Hockey League. It was established in May 2014 and features both native players and expats. Bahrain has sent teams to tournaments around Asia in the past and the country had eight active teams in the 1980s. Bahraini teams won tournaments in Dubai in 1995 and 1996 and finished as runner-ups in 1994. The Bahraini national team made its official debut in 2010, playing a friendly against Kuwait. The country later participated in the 2011 Asian Winter Games, 2012 Gulf Championship, and 2014 Desert Cup.
• Bangladesh: There is an ice rink in Dhaka, known as the Star Ice Rink, situated at the Bashundhara City Shopping Mall. The 2700 square foot facility has seating room for 300 people and the rink offers skating lessons. It features a synthetic ice surface. From September 18-21, 2014, the rink hosted the "Super Ice Skating Week 2014" to better acquaint the public with skating.
• Barbados: Back in 2009, there were talks of the Ottawa Senators playing exhibition matches in Barbados, the place of residence of team owner, Eugene Melnyk. It was noted that the matches would be played at the 5000 seat Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, which had hosted ice skating events in the past.There were also talks of setting up a synthetic ice rink in the country at the time. Successful pro players with Barbadian roots include Shawn Belle, Fred Braithwaite, Anson Carter, Mike Grier, Jamal Mayers, Kevin Weekes, and Peter Worrell.
• Belarus: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Belarus.
• Belgium: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Belgium.
• Belize: The country hosted an ice skating show in 2000. A portable rink was set up by Hollywood on Ice for the performances, which were held at multiple locations around the country.There are no permanent ice rinks nor ice hockey activities in Belize.
• Benin: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Bhutan: Back in 1974, the country's government requested members from the Indian Shimla Ice Skating Club to create an outdoor rink in Thimphu. It is unknown if anything became of this project and there are no known ice rinks nor documented hockey activities in Bhutan today.
• Bolivia: Ice hockey activities existed in the mountainous regions of the country in the mid-1970s, but later died out by the end of the decade. In 2008, the SIHR noted there were small ice rinks in La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra.. An Xtraice synthetic ice rink, known as "La Pista", exists in the capital of La Paz. It received over 100,000 visitors during its first year of operation.
• Botswana: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Brazil: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Brazil.
• Brunei: There is an ice rink in Bandar Seri Begawan. No hockey is played. Craig Adams, who won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, was born in Seria.
• Bulgaria: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Bulgaria.
• Burkina Faso: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country. Benjamin Agnel, a member of the French National Team at the 1994 Olympics, was born in Ouagadougou.
• Burma: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Burundi: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.

C

• Cambodia: The country's first rink was opened at Kids' City in the capital of Phnom Penh in 2013. Meng Hieng, a local businessman who learned how to skate in South Korea, was behind the project. He recruited a Filipino figure skating coach to instruct the locals and stated he hopes for Cambodians to one day participate in international skating competitions. Ice hockey in Cambodia began in 2015 with the opening of a second ice rink, known as the Ice Park facility. Dennis Romatz was hired by the Kingdom to start a hockey program. He also was also given the goal of sending a national ice hockey team to the 2017 Southeast Asian Winter Games. Learn to Play Hockey classes, featuring about 30 Cambodians, started in May. The sessions are staged on Mondays and instructed by a Kazakh coach, Yuri Zhukov.
• Cameroon: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Canada: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Canada.
• Cape Verde Islands: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Central African Republic: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Chad: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Chile: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Chile.
• China: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on China.
• Chinese Taipei: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Chinese Taipei.
• Colombia: The country fielded a national ice hockey team, composed primarily of inline hockey players, that played in the Pan American Ice Hockey Tournament annually from 2014-2017. The team won gold in 2015 and 2016. They fielded yellow and red teams in 2017. The yellow team lost to Mexico in the final. Colombia won the gold medal at the 2018 Amerigol Latam Cup. A women's team also participated in the 2015 female tournament, finishing second. They finished fourth in 2016 and second in 2017. There are no ice rinks in Colombia currently.
• Comoros: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Congo: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Costa Rica: The history of Costa Rica's first ice rink dates back to 1973. Hockey activities began in Costa Rica in 1996. The first official game was played on April 30, between two peewee teams, the Flames and the Mighty Lizards. Three locations hosted hockey programs: the Real Cariari Shopping Centre, a converted warehouse in Santa Ana, and the Waterland waterpark in Belen. The El Castillo Knights youth club was formed in 1997. Some of the highlights in their history include winning a Challenge Series tournament in Mexico and training with the Canadian Women's Olympic Team in Calgary. Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, visited the Knights while on a Latin American trade mission in August 2011. A new, full-sized ice rink opened at the El Castillo Country Club in Heredia in 2014. The new arena was inaugurated with ice skating performances and a hockey exhibition in March of that year. The national team played three games in Heredia against the Mighty Pirates from Canada in June 2000. The team featured some players who usually played roller hockey. The Castillo Country Club hosted Costa Rica's first-ever international ice hockey tournament in November 2017. The Calgary Citizens beat the Los Angeles Ruination 7-5 to capture the title. The other participants were the Stanley All-Stars from the Falkland Islands and the Castillo Knights. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a message to the participating teams, stating that "This tournament offers a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Castillo Knights Hockey Club and to reflect upon its success. I would like to commend the players taking part in this event for their hard work and enthusiasm for the sport."
• Croatia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Croatia.
• Cuba: Cuba was represented by the Havana Tropicals, who were based out of the Metropolitan Ice Palace in Coral Gables, in the Tropical Hockey League in 1938-39. A rink once existed in Teatro Blanquita (now known as Teatro Karl Marx) that was erected in 1949. A Montreal Gazette article from September 10, 1947, mentioned a Cuban delegate, Azea, who stated he was "anxious to introduce ice hockey to Cuba". The piece mentioned the existence of a sports palace in Havana with ice making equipment available. Azea planned to talk with NHL commissioner Frank Selke before returning home, with the intention of trying to arrange several post-season NHL exhibition games in Cuba. It appears these plans never came to fruition. An open air, synthetic ice rink was opened at the Malecon waterfront in the capital of Havana in 2015. The project was spearheaded by New York artist, Duke Riley, who was in Cuba for the Havana Biennial art festival. In an interview, Riley mentioned that several other ice rinks had existed in Cuba in recent times, but according to him they all closed "within several months of opening." He also brought 200 pairs of ice skates for local Cubans to use, and stated the project was inspired by the recent detente between the United States and Cuba.
• Cyprus: The first ice hockey game in Cyprus was played on April 25, 2010, at the Ice Bowl Leisure Centure in Famagusta, between the Limassol Solar Bears and the Famagusta Ice Crows. Hockey activities in Cyprus were spearheaded by the Limassol and Famagusta team captains, Nigel Smeaton and Erhan Tuncer, respectively. There is also a youth team, the Limassol Sharks, for kids ages 5-14. Limassol hosted an ice hockey tournament for beginners in July 2018. The country has two rinks, a 430 square-meter rink in a shopping mall in Limassol, and a 450 square-meter synthetic ice facility in Famagusta. The former rink is only suitable for practice. The Limassol and Famagusta teams hailed from two different parts of Cyprus, which has been divided since a Turkish military occupation of the northern part of the country in 1974. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is unrecognized internationally.
• Czech Republic: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on the Czech Republic.

D

• Democratic Republic of the Congo: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Denmark: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Denmark.
• Djibouti: In November 2013, a team representing Djibouti faced Kenya at the Panari Solar Rink in Nairobi. Kenya won 4-3. There are no ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in Djibouti proper.
• Dominica: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Dominican Republic: Temporary ice rinks have been erected in the past. On September 9, 2015, members of the Florida Panthers, including forward Vincent Trocheck, visited the capital of Santo Domingo. Their trip included a visit to a local hospital and a street hockey clinic taught by Trocheck and Panthers' TV analyst, Randy Moller. Over 75 students from a local school participated in the clinic. There are no permanent ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.

E

• Ecuador: There is a small ice rink in the capital of Quito, known as the Palacio del Hielo, located in the Centro Comercio Iñaquito (CCI) shopping mall. Back in 1998, there were three teams in Guayaquil (Guayas, Barcelona, and Emelec), where there was also an ice rink at the time, and one in Quito. A pioneering force behind hockey in Ecuador was Roberto Zumofen, a former Italian goaltender. He helped introduce the sport to some students while he was teaching art Guayaquil University. Nowadays, the Quito Cocks (formerly the Andean Hockey Club) play three-on-three hockey on Mondays and Thursdays from 8:35 to 9:35 PM. A tournament was organized in 2010 and there was an "Ecuador All-Stars versus the World" match staged in 2012. The first Ecuadorian Championship was held in 2019. Men's and women's teams from Quito, the Orkos Hockey Club and Katari, respectively, competed in the Puerto Williams Tournament in Chile in 2019. Katari won the women's championship.
• East Timor: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Egypt: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Egypt.
• El Salvador: There is an ice rink on the roof of the La Casona mansion situated within the Centro Comercial Galerias shopping mall in the El Salvadorian capital of San Salvador.
• Eritrea: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Equatorial Guinea: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Estonia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Estonia.
• Ethiopia: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country. However, on June 1, 2016, Team Kenya played "Team Ethiopia" for the Madaraka Cup at the Panari Solar Rink in Nairobi. Kenya won 14-12. There were no Ethiopians on "Team Ethiopia" and the team had no actual connection to the country.

F

• Fiji: A user of the International Hockey Forums (IHF) website states that there is an ice rink in Nadi. There are no known hockey activities in Fiji and the claim of the Nadi rink has not been substantiated by any other sources.
• Finland: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Finland.
• France: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on France.

G

• Gabon: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Gambia: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Georgia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Georgia.
• Germany: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Germany.
• Ghana: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Great Britain: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Great Britain.
• Greece: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Greece.
• Grenada: The Grenada Figure Skating Association, which was formed in 2007, was admitted to the International Skating Union (ISU) in 2011. The president of the federation, Earl Clarkson, stated that in order for the country to remain a member of the ISU, it would have to meet the requirements stipulated by the ISU's constitution, most importantly, the construction of an ice rink. He addressed this concern with the following remark: "As strange as it sounds it’s a very realistic project that we have been working on,” he said." Clarkson added that the proposed rink could serve as a multi-purpose facility. As of 2015, the project does not appear to have come to fruition.
• Guatemala: Back in 2007, Russia flew an outdoor ice rink on AN 124 military plane into Guatemala City as part of its bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The rink was situated in the plaza of an outdoor restaurant, which was located in between the two hotels International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegates were staying at while in the city for the association's 119th Annual Session. An ice rink at the Parque Central in Guatemala City was featured as part of a 2012 Christmas Festival. Adults and children alike received free admission bracelets which granted them a pair of skates and 45 minutes of skating time.
• Guinea: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Guinea-Bissau: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Guyana: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.

H

• Haiti: Some initial ice hockey activities took place in the capital of Port-au-Prince in the 1970s. No real games were staged, however. An idea to stage an ice show in Haiti was borne in 2012 as the brainchild of Stephanie Villedrouin, the country's tourism minister. She met Francois Yrius of Super Canal Prod, and urged him to organize an ice show. The show, which was first intended to be held outdoors (these plans were abandoned due to the heat), had to be cancelled more than 12 times before finally coming to fruition in the summer of 2013. A basketball gym in Port-au-Prince was eventually utilized to house the ice; it cost $1600 an hour to run the generator to keep it from melting. American professional skater Rory Flack-Burghat was among the participants in the six shows staged. Claude Vilgrain, who went on to play 89 games in the NHL, was born in Port-au-Prince. He learned to play hockey in Canada. Haiti won the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation World Championship, held in Zug, Switzerland, on June 28, 2015. The team was composed primarily of Montreal-born Haitian Canadians. Former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque served as an assistant coach a chief fund-raiser for the team. The Haitian national ice hockey team made its international debut on April 23, 2017, falling 7-4 to Lebanon in Saint-Laurent, Canada. However, there are still no permanent rinks nor hockey activities taking place in Haiti itself.
• Honduras: From August 20-30, 2009, an ice rink was featured at the Multiplaza shopping mall in San Pedro Sula. Those who purchased 350 Lempiras (Honduran currency) worth of merchandise were granted the privilege to skate. The locals hoped the rink would become a permanent feature.
• Hong Kong: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Hong Kong.
• Hungary: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Hungary.

I

• Iceland: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Iceland.
• India: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on India.
• Indonesia: The country has several ice rinks and there is an Indonesia Ice Hockey League run by the Federasi Hoki Es Indonesia. Back in 1998, two teams known as the Flaming Nitro Jakarta and Barong Jakarta existed. Teams from three nations participated in the Jakarta Cup, staged in October 1997.
• Iran: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Iran.
• Iraq: Back in the 1970s, a rink was erected by a British firm in the capital of Baghdad. Several ice hockey exhibitions were staged by British old-timer players. Today, there are two known ice rinks in the northern part of the country. No hockey activities are known to exist presently.
• Ireland: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Ireland.
• Israel: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Israel.
• Italy: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Italy.
• Ivory Coast: There is an ice rink in Abidjan at the Intercontinental Hotel. Some hockey activities took place in the Ivory Coast in the 1980s

J

• Jamaica: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Jamaica.
• Japan: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Japan.
• Jordan: There is an ice rink known as the "Ice Cave" at the Galleria Mall in the capital of Amman. It opened in early 2014 and the first skating competition in Jordan was held that August.

K

• Kazakhstan: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Kazakhstan.
• Kenya: There is an ice rink in Nairobi known as the Solar Ice Rink (opened 2005), located at the Panari Sky Centre. Ice hockey is played at the facility, and there is an informal competition known as the Kenyan Ice Hockey League, which features a mix of local and international players. Games are played on Wednesday's, which are known as "Ice Hockey Wednesday". The first KIHL game was played in January 2006, featuring "Winnipeg vs. The World". Winnipeg won 4-3. The rink hosted a "local tournament for schools" on April 24, 2015, which was billed as the "First Ice Hockey Tournament in East & Central Africa." Some inline players were recruited to form Kenya's first hockey team, which has (overly-ambitious) hopes of qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics hockey tournament. In August 2018, Tim Horton's flew the Kenya Ice Lions to Canada, provided them with new gear, and organized a game with NHL superstars Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. A documentary about the event, titled "The Away Game", was also produced. On March 9, 2019, the Kenya Ice Lions fell 10-9 to the Last Game All Stars in Nairobi. The game was played to call attention to the impact of climate change in Kenya and around the world. The Solar rink hosted the Madaraka Day Cup tournament on June 22 and 23, 2019. Team Canada, Team Europe, Team USA, and the Kenya Ice Lions participated. Team USA won the tournament, beating the Ice Lions 10-9 in the final. Team Canada defeated Team Europe 13-1 in the third place game.
• Kiribati: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Kuwait: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Kuwait.
• Kyrgyzstan: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Kyrgyzstan.

L

• Laos: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Latvia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Latvia.
• Lebanon: The Lebanese Minor Hockey League (LMHL) was co-founded by Gordon Penney and Jiri Vlk from the Canadian and Czech embassies, respectively, and a Lebanese native Tony Abi Almeh, at the Ice Skating Arena in Zouk in 2003. In 2005, the league featured 40 players ranging in age from 10-15 years old and conducted practice sessions three times a week. The league was set to visit Prague for a tournament in May 2005. Hockey died out after the rink was shuttered in 2006. An outdoor ice rink was later erected at Beirut Souks in the Central District of the city in later 2011. The mobile rink, known as Beirut on Ice, returned in late 2012 at a new location - the Beirut City Mall. Another facility, known as the Give me Five Ice Skating & Arcade Center, opened in Beirut in April 2014. There is a Lebanese Hockey Association in existence, whose website states that "...the association has been created to advanced ice hockey, in-line hockey, and ball hockey initiatives of Lebanese hockey players on a worldwide basis in addition to enabling the international development and representation of Lebanon in the sport of hockey." The Lebanese National Team made its international debut on April 23, 2017, defeating Haiti 7-4 in Saint-Laurent, Canada.
• Lesotho: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Liberia: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Libya: A ice rink opened in Benghazi on August 20, 2008. Another facility was planned as part of the luxurious Bab Tripoli complex in the nation's capital. The fate of the Benghazi rink and whether the ice rink came to fruition in Tripoli after the strife that enveloped Libya is unknown. There is an amateur team in Canada composed of Libyan expats. In 1987, the German club ECD Iserlohn encountered financial difficulties. The team president, Heinz Weifenbach, looked for help in Libya, where Muammar al-Gaddafi agreed to pay money if the team advertised his "Green Book". On December 4, they came to an agreement. However, a few days later, ECD scrapped that plan. Libya was invited to send a team to the 2016 African Ice Hockey Cup, but did not.
• Liechtenstein: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Liechtenstein.
• Lithuania: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Lithuania.
• Luxembourg: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Luxembourg.

M

• Macau: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Macau.
• Macedonia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Macedonia.
• Madagascar: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Malawi: A publication from 1978 noted that Malawi had three ice rinks and featured a national championship. It was contested by four teams in 1977-78 and won by the Ribadoui Royals, ahead of Hassana. Another club was known as "IHC". None of the rinks are known to have survived to this day.
• Malaysia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Malaysia.
• Maldives: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Mali: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Malta: There was formerly a competition, the Maltese Hockey League, that is known to have been contested in 2002 and 2003. The country's lone rink, the Eden Arena, closed in 2003. Maltese hockey remained alive for a short time after the rink's closing. Team Malta participated in the CAE International Ice Hockey Tournament hosted by the Dubai Mighty Camels in 2004. Despite not having been on the ice in over eight months, the Maltese team finished as runners-up at the tournament, losing to the Qatar Desert Qanucks 2-0 in the final. They returned to the tournament, this time known as the Malta Pirates, in 2005. The Malta International Ice Sports Association (MIISA) formerly existed with the objective of organizing and developing ice sports in Malta. After the closure of the arena, the MIISA sought to have a new facility erected. An open-air ice rink was inaugurated at the Pjazza Tigne in November 2010. A rink at the Bay Street Complex in St. George's Bay, St. Julian's, was open every day from November 6, 2013 and January 5, 2014, and from Friday-Sunday from January 10 to March 2, 2014. It later re-opened on November 23, 2014 and remained in operation until March 29, 2015. A professional figure skater, Floridan Otai, was hired to conduct lessons and give performances.
• Marshall Islands: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Mauritania: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Mauritius: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Mexico: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Mexico.
• Micronesia: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Moldova: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Moldova.
• Monaco: The country has a temporary outdoor ice rink that is open for part of the year. The Monaco Ice Skating Federation organizes figure skating championships at the facility. A peewee tournament, for players 11-13 years old, known as the "Tournoi International de hockey sur glace de Monaco" was staged in 2006 and 2007. Two teams apiece from Canada and France participated in the inaugural tournament, staged from January 5-8, 2006. It was won by the Sénateurs de Chateaugay, who defeated the Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble in the final. The second tournament was held from January 4-7, 2007, and featured teams from Switzerland and Italy, as well as Canada and France. What was said to be the sixth (though it was almost certainly the fifth) edition of the tournament was held from December 26-30, 2010. Teams from Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Canada, Switzerland, Italy and France were slated to compete. The Skating Club of Monaco has a team known as the Monaco Barracudas. The Nice Aigles of France and the Monaco Barracudas faced one another on April 6, 2014. On February 27, 2017, there was an ice hockey game played at the ice rink in Port Hercule between the Nice Aigles and the Monaco Barracudas. The Barracudas won, 6-5. It was part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Canadian Confederation. The Monaco Barraducas competed in a tournament in Marseilles, France, in June 2018. The Barracudas played in three tournaments of 2019, the last of which was in Orcières Merlette, where they finished eighth out of 14 teams.
• Mongolia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Mongolia.
• Montenegro: Podgorica has had a temporary ice rink that is open for the winter months. A similar facility has also operated in Zabljak. The country's first rink opened at the Moraca Sport Center in 2006. No hockey is played in Montenegro.
• Morocco: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Morocco.
• Mozambique: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.

N

• Namibia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Namibia.
• Nauru: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Nepal: The Nepal Ice Hockey Association was established in 2014. The goals of the federation, as listed on its official website, are as follows: 1. Produce Ice Hockey players at international level. 2. Organize national ice hockey tournaments and other games. 3. Organize ice hockey teams representing Nepal for each category and participation to various international tournaments. 4. Social and international contribution. The association formed a team in the capital of Kathmandu. The country has no indoor ice rinks but Lake Tilicho, which freezes over for about half the year, is available for skating on. On March 8, 2016, delegates from Nepal visited IIHF headquarters in Zurich to explore the country's possible entrance into the federation as an associate member.
• Netherlands: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on the Netherlands.
• New Zealand: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on New Zealand.
• Nicaragua: A temporary ice rink was constructed in 2009. The high cost of the project (approximately 1500 USD) brought criticism upon the Nicaraguan government. The rink was erected inside a climate-controlled plastic tent and was open from December 2009 until January 3, 2010.
• Niger: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Nigeria: An ice rink was installed at the Silverbird Galleria in December 2006. Later, in 2012, the British-owned Buckswood School put in a 30 square meter synthetic rink in Abeokuta. In celebration of Childrens Day at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, the Solution Media and Infotech company erected a mobile rink in mid-2014. Philorem Limited installed the first successful synthetic commercial ice rink facility at the Ikeja City Mall in Lagos in September 2014. There are a total of five small, synthetic rinks in Nigeria.
• North Korea: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on North Korea.
• Norway: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Norway.

O

• Oman: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Oman.

P

• Pakistan: An official IIHF news release from 2005 stated that "Pakistan also applied for a membership but the congress decided to postpone the application until the ice hockey program in the country will have a better structure." There is an ice rink located at the multi-sport facility, known colloquially as the Arena, in Karachi. In March 2018, the Shaheen Ice Hockey Team, sponsored by Shaheen Air International, won the Lion City Cup in Singapore. On December 29, 2018, the first-ever ice hockey game in Pakistan was played between the Pakistan Air Force and the G-B Scouts at the winter resort of Naltar in Gilgit-Baltistan. The match went to a penalty shootout, in which Shahryar scored the only goal of the game, giving PAF the win.
• Palau: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Panama: A temporary ice rink, with dimensions of 40x60 feet, was located at the Multi Plaza Mall in Panama City from November 18, 2010, to January 10, 2011. The cost to use the rink was $5 for 30 minutes of ice. Approximately 180 pairs of rental skates were available for use.
• Papua New Guinea: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Paraguay: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Peru: An indoor ice rink, said to be one of the biggest in Latin America, opened in the Municipality of Jesus Maria in Lima in July 2012. The facility, known as Iceland Park, has an ice surface of 500 square meters and teachers available to offer instruction.
• Philippines: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on the Philippines.
• Poland: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Poland.
• Portugal: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Portugal.

Q

• Qatar: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Qatar.

R

• Romania: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Romania.
• Russia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Russia.
• Rwanda: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.

S

• Saint Kitts and Nevis: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Saint Lucia: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Samoa: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• San Marino: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Sao Tome and Principe: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Saudi Arabia: The first rink in Saudi Arabia, known as the FAL Ice Arena, opened in a mall just north of the capital of Riyadh in the early 1980s. The country's first club, the Riyadh Oilers, was founded later in the decade. The Oilers had many Canadian expats who were working for Bell. Another club, the Dhahran Saad Falcons, was founded in 1995. The Falcons organization runs a three team, four-on-four men's league, and also features a junior program. The club has also played in tournament's around Asia and is based in Al Khobar. The Saudi National Team made its international debut in 2010, finishing third at the Gulf Ice Hockey Championship.
• Senegal: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Serbia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Serbia.
• Seychelles: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Sierra Leone: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Singapore: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Singapore.
• Slovakia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Slovakia.
• Slovenia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Slovenia.
• Solomon Islands: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Somalia: There are no ice rinks, and no ice hockey is played in Somalia proper. However, a national bandy team was formed by a group of Somali expats living in Borlange, Sweden. They were recruited by a native Swede, Patrik Andersson, who applied for Somalia's membership to the International Bandy Federation and encouraged native Somalis playing for a local football club to take up the sport. The team participated in the World Bandy Championships in 2014 and 2015. Somalia finished last in Division B both times, failing to win a game on either occasion. Somalia won their first international game on February 25, 2016, defeating Afghanistan 15-0.
• South Africa: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on South Africa.
• South Korea: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on South Korea.
• Spain: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Spain.
• Sri Lanka: In April 2014, it was reported that MLM Associates were designing and building the first ice rink in the country as part of a cable car project in Nuwara Eliya. It is supposed to be ready by the 2015 holiday season.
• Sudan: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Suriname: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Swaziland: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Sweden: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Sweden.
• Switzerland: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Switzerland.
• Syria: An ice rink is known to have existed at a shopping mall in the capital of Damascus, which opened around 2009. It is unknown if it is still in existence.

T

• Tajikistan: An indoor ice rink is located in Khujand. Enomali Rahmon, president of Tajikistan, was present for the opening of the Khujand Sport Arena, which houses the ice rink facility. The arena opened in 2012.
• Tanzania: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Thailand: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Thailand.
• Togo: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Tonga: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Trinidad and Tobago: A 2012 article reported that businessmen Derek Chin and Jerry Joseph were planning to include an ice rink as part of a development concept at the outskirts of the capital of Port of Spain, described as the "mecca of the Caribbean". Chin said he envisioned people being able to step out of the blistering midday heat and into an ice skating rink. As of 2015, it appears the plan for the development have not yet come to fruition. A fictional team from Trinidad and Tobago was featured in the movie D2: The Mighty Ducks.
• Tunisia: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Tunisia.
• Turkey: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Turkey.
• Turkmenistan: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Turkmenistan.
• Tuvalu: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.

U

• Uganda: There is a synthetic ice rink at the Tirupati Mazima Hall in the capital of Kampala known as Jubilate Ice Skating. A synthetic facility, located at the Alleygators entertainment complex in Garden City, was opened around 2009. Shortly after the 2014 Winter Olympics, where Canada won the gold medal in ice hockey, a columnist for the Hamilton Spectator who was living in Kampala at the time, wrote a satirical piece about a Ugandan national ice hockey team participating in the 2018 Olympic tournament. The columnist, Thomas Froese, built a small ball hockey "rink" behind his house, where some local Ugandans and other Canadian expats would play street hockey.
• Ukraine: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Ukraine.
• United Arab Emirates: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on the United Arab Emirates.
• Uruguay: There was an ice rink on the sixth parking level of the Montevideo Shopping Center that featured an area of 600 square meters. It was open from May-September in 2009. In 2010, it was open until August 29. The company, Fantasy on Ice, offered skating instruction, and the rink banner was known as "Fantasy on Ice, a Pista De Patinaje Sobre Hielo En Montevideo Shopping".
• United States: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on the United States.
• Uzbekistan: For information on this country's ice hockey activities, please see the separate article on Uzbekistan.

V

• Vanuatu: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Vatican City: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Vietnam: The country has a facility, known as the Vinpearl Ice Rink, at the Royal City Vincom Mega Mall in the capital of Hanoi. Hockey games, mostly involving expats but also featuring some local Vietnamese players, are staged at the rink. It is considered to be the first "world class" ice rink in Vietnam; although the country also has a small rink at the Crescent Mall in Ho Chi Minh City. A competition known as the Vietnam Hockey League was established at the Hanoi rink in 2014. The first ice hockey match in Ho Chi Minh City took place on December 14, 2017. The event was jointly organized by the Consulate General of Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (CanCham) to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the confederation of Canada. West Coast Dental faced Heart of Darkness in the game. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has also formed a "Ho Chi Minh City Ice Hockey League".
• Venezuela: The El Avila Ice Skating Rink, referred to as the "most famous ice skating rink in Caracas", is situated at the top of the Avila Mountain at the Hotel Humboldt. There is also an ice rink at the Galeria Mall in Maracaibo. There is a governing body known as the Asociación Venezolana de Hockey en Línea y en Hielo. Inline hockey is played in Venezuela and the national team won the 2014 Pan American Inline Hockey Tournament, which was organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. A national inline championship has been staged in the country since 2014. The Venezuela national ice hockey team made its international debut at the 2018 Amerigol Latam Cup. They finished in fourth place at the tournament.

Y

• Yemen: The country's first ice rink opened in 2013. It is located in the capital of Sana'a and is part of the Fun City complex.

Z

• Zambia: There are no known ice rinks nor documented ice hockey activities in the country.
• Zimbabwe: There was a Zimbabwe ice hockey team called the Wildcats who played against a Canadian forces team and against several teams in South Africa. Circa 1979-80. Rory Hopkins, who played in the English Premier Ice Hockey League in the early 2000s, was born in Harare.

Other entities

• Bermuda: There are no ice rinks and no ice hockey is played on the island. A team called the Bermuda Triangles was formed to represent the country at the 2008 World Pond Hockey Championships in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick. They finished 59th out of 120 teams.
• Cayman Islands: There are no ice rinks and no ice hockey is played on the islands, although the Cayman Ice Palace in Grand Cayman is scheduled to open in May 2016. The arena's website mentions the "state-of-the-art, multi-purpose arena will offer year-round, daily spectacular ice shows, concerts, hockey, figure skating, conventions, trade shows and more." A team from the Cayman Islands was formed to participate in the World Pond Hockey Championships in Canada in 2005. The Cayman Breakaway have taken part in the Championships, staged in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, annually since then.
• Falkland Islands: Dek hockey (ball hockey) has been played in the Falkland Islands since 2006 and the sport of inline hockey was later taken up. There is a Falkand Islands Hockey Association, which organizes dek hockey on the island, that has a section on its website for ice hockey. In May 2015, it was announced that the Falkland Islands intended to travel to Punta Arenas, Chile, twice-a-year to play three-on-three ice hockey. There are no ice rinks on the island itself. They competed in the Copa Invernada tournament in July 2015, defeating the Santiago Yetis 8-2. They went on to record a 14-3 victory over the Punta Arenas Kotaix. After their victories over the two Chilean clubs, the Falklands won a 6-3 decision against the Argentinian Rio Grande Dragones, earning them a spot in the final. A 9-3 victory, again over the Dragones, earned them the championship.
• Faroe Islands: Ice hockey activities began in the mid-1980s when a club known as Lear-erer was formed in the capital of Torshavn. Torshavn now has a temporary ice rink open during the winter months. Hockey appears to have died out, though.
• Greenland: Given the cold climate and the existence of outdoor rinks, ice hockey is played on an informal basis in Greenland. The country once had five active ice hockey teams: Dundus Hamilton, Dundus Mohawks, NIK, Nomira, and IS 2 M. In 2002, several enthusiasts in the towns of Nuuk, Maniitsoq and Sisimiut attempted to kick-start the formation of a national team to compete in the Arctic Winter Games. The AWG International Committee barred such a team from participating, so the plan did not come to fruition.
• Puerto Rico: Ice and roller hockey had existed fleetingly in San Juan during the 1970s and 1990s. The Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena opened in Aguadilla on October 15, 2004. Hockey Puerto Rico, the national federation, was formed shortly before the arena's opening with Phillip Painter as its first vice president. Pickup hockey was soon played at the beachfront facility. The first Puerto Rican team, known as the Tainos - in honor of the indigenous Caribbean people - was formed in 2005. Hockey continued to take off, but incompetent management at the Aguadilla rink played a role in curtailing the development of the sport. Another facility opened in Isla Verde, featuring a two-thirds by one-half standard length/width ice surface. No hockey was played at the rink. San Juan hosted an exhibition game between the NHL's Florida Panthers and New York Rangers at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico on September 23, 2006.
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon: There are two teams, the Cougars and Missiles. The clubs play a championship series against one another. The 2014-15 championship was delayed until January due to issues with the ice rink. The Missiles won the "Coupe de la Ligue" in March 2015. The national team played an exhibition game against France in the capital of Saint-Pierre on May 15, 2008, losing 8-6. The Association du Hockey Mineur SPM is the governing body of hockey on the island.

Former countries

Please see the following articles for information on these erstwhile countries/other entities:

• Bohemia
• Bohemia and Moravia
• Commonwealth of Independent States
• Czechoslovakia
• East Germany
• West Germany
• Slovak Republic
• Soviet Union
• Serbia and Montenegro
• Yugoslavia