Ice hockey isn’t what usually comes to mind when people think of Texas. But recently the sport has spiked in popularity and eyes are on the Longhorns hockey team after a historical season.
UT’s ice hockey team competed at the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Western Regional Tournament and advanced to the second round for the first time in the organization’s history. The team started strong with a 5-4 win over Southern Methodist University in overtime but lost the second round to Metropolitan State University Denver 5-1. Although their regional run was cut short, this milestone made history for the team.
Team captain, Barrett Ott, said the team underwent significant growth since he joined two years ago. When he first started, the team was unorganized and the gear was mixed and matched, so the team didn’t appear like a united front. However, Ott said efforts from players with previous experience in ice hockey made a huge impact on the team’s success.
“I think what made the difference this year is we had five good freshmen get past UT admissions,” Ott said. “It is our biggest struggle as a program because a lot of other schools go and recruit guys but obviously with UT being so competitive to apply and get into, it’s hard for a lot of hockey players to get through the admissions process this year.”
UT’s ice hockey program is entirely student-run and part of UT RecSports’ Club Association. While the team receives support from a senior advisor and various coaches, players are elected into leadership roles and are responsible for scheduling practice games and ensuring they comply with school guidelines.
Every semester, the team holds tryouts to attract students like alternate captain Kenneth Meyer who joined six years ago as a freshman.
“It was the first thing I did when I came to UT,” Meyer said. “I moved myself into the Castilian, and by moving I literally just threw boxes in my room, picked up my hockey bag and went to a pre-tryout skate.”
Meyer is now a second-year doctorate student in computational science and engineering and this is his final semester on the team. He said the organization has undergone periods of growth and decline during his time, but this has been their best season yet.
“We’ve increased our attendance overall,” Meyer said. “And a lot of that is just some of our players’ involvement on campus and how connected we are.”
A New Jersey native, Meyer said he would describe being an ice hockey player in Texas as a novelty. He said back home, he was never asked, “Oh we have a hockey team?” like he gets asked here. Meyer said the team’s social media presence helps bring attention to their games.
When he ran the Instagram account two years ago, Ott said they only had about 1,500 followers, now the team’s account boasts 7,000 followers.
While ice hockey in Texas is viewed as a rarity, it’s the most popular sport in Canada and more commonly played in the northern United States. Factors like weather and geographic location don’t impact hockey’s popularity as much as the cost and accessibility of the sport.
Project Play, an initiative by the Aspen Institute, reported that youth ice hockey costs about $2,583 per year, making it the most expensive sport among the 21 sports surveyed. On top of its high cost, the rarity of ice rinks in southern states is another obstacle. There are 52 ice rinks in Texas, while northern states like Massachusetts have 140 rinks, according to Arena Guide.
However, despite these obstacles, ice hockey’s popularity continues to grow across the country. Viewership of the National Hockey League on ESPN saw a significant jump of 44% compared to last season, according to the Sports Business Journal.
In Texas, the Dallas Stars have led the hockey surge since they relocated to the Lone Star State. The team was originally established as the Minnesota North Stars but made the big move to Dallas in 1993. In 1999, the Stars won the Stanley Cup, the NHL playoffs championship award. Currently, the team ranks eighth in the NHL standings and is en route to the playoffs.
Despite barriers like financial accessibility and ice rink scarcity, there has been a proliferation of ice hockey teams in Texas, like the Amarillo Wranglers and the Corpus Cristi IceRays.
As hockey continues to grow in Texas, Meyer said he hopes more people learn about UT’s team.
“I think it’d be nice if people could see the extent of everyone’s involvement with the team and how much work they put in,” Meyer said. “Because we are a student-run organization and a lot of guys do hours and hours of work.”