Hockey has always been one of the last few major team sports without a majority of their players coming from the United States.
Ice rinks and arenas across the country has always been dominated by a mix of Europeans, and Canadians. Even the NHL, which is the largest league in the world, relies on a steady talent supply from countries in which Hockey is more prominent.
Lately, however, the trend has been heading in the opposite direction. With more American kids playing hockey, more money and resources are being thrown into the sport.
This investment has paid off with more American athletes going on to play hockey at both the collegiate and professional levels.
In the last 25 years, the total number of hockey players in the US has grown by over 230%, making ice hockey one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
Despite the exponential growth of the sport, college hockey has yet to see any new DI programs. Fortunately, a new venture-backed by USA Hockey with a large investment from the NHL is looking to create new opportunities for the newest influx of American Hockey players.
The group is called College Hockey Inc., and their goal is to help Division I schools start their own new hockey programs.
Ed Robson speaking in front of this year’s team at the ribbon cutting of the @EdRobsonArena and Yalich Student Services Center. pic.twitter.com/8zX0YvWhgc
— CC Hockey (@CCTigerHKY) September 18, 2021
The group began work on the implementation of new varsity hockey programs with Penn State, eight years ago, and then at brought a hockey team to Arizona State four years later.
The Nittany Lions are now the 9th ranked team in NCAA college hockey, and the Sun Devils are 14th.
gold >> maize 🔱 pic.twitter.com/qMnFmWUupQ
— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) September 20, 2021
Over the past 15 years, NCAA alumni playing in the NHL have grown 55%, including 327 former college hockey players making NHL rosters for the 2018-19 season.
One out of three players taking the ice in the NHL last year developed their game in the collegiate hockey ranks. And 49 of 60 NCAA schools with a Division I team had a former player on an active NHL roster.
As impressive as those numbers are, there is still much room for growth. Those 60 programs make up a little over 15% of all Division I schools.
Another area where hockey is visibly different than the last generation is diversity between athletes and in the coaching ranks.
In the last season, thirteen black women were on active Division I and III rosters. This is more than three times the amount in 2019.
Let’s talk about Renee Hess.
— Sebastian J (@SebJackson90) February 4, 2021
Renee or as you may know her as @BlackGirlHockey founded BGHC in 2018 to unite black women in the hockey community.
But she’s done so much more. pic.twitter.com/Bs08yd211T
Arcadia University Women’s Hockey coach Kelsey Koelzer, who is the first black woman to coach in the NCAA, spoke about the recent emergence of young black female hockey stars,
"As I'm recruiting, I feel I'm constantly shocked that it's getting less and less out of the ordinary to see girls that are getting recruited to NCAA [Division I] who are (Black),... I think it’s a really hopeful sign”.
This is Kelsey Koelzer.
— PHF (@NWHL) January 15, 2018
Pronounced just like it’s spelled.
Princeton. Kaz Finalist. First overall pick in the 2016 NWHL Draft. Riveter. Team NWHL.
She is a hockey star.
The second period of Team NWHL-Team USA has begun. pic.twitter.com/nCyHpUXrgW
Koelzer, who will be coaching Arcadia's inaugural season in 2021-2022 , was also the first black woman to be drafted in the National Women's Hockey League draft.
If these trends continue the future of college Hockey seems very bright. More kids trading in cleats and basketball shoes for ice skates and hockey Sticks means more American men and women playing in college.
It means that the day might come where the majority of NHL players are developed in college and high school programs.
