Puerto Rico men's national ice hockey team
 | |
| Association | Puerto Rico Ice Hockey Association |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Paul Cohen |
| Captain | Scott Vargas |
| Top scorer | Scott Vargas (10) |
| Most points | Scott Vargas & Dennis Ruppe (15) |
| Team colors | |
| IIHF code | PUR |
| Ranking | |
| Current IIHF | NR (27 May 2024)[1] |
| First international | |
Puerto Rico  5–3  Argentina(Coral Springs, United States; October 14, 2021) | |
| Biggest win | |
Puerto Rico 9–2  Brazil(Farmers Branch, United States; March 25, 2022) Puerto Rico 8–1 Brazil(Coral Springs, United States; September 15, 2022) | |
| Biggest defeat | |
Jamaica  11–2 Puerto Rico(New York City, United States; June 7, 2024) | |
| Amerigol LATAM Cup | |
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2021) |
| Best result |  1st (2022) |
| International record (W–L–T) | |
| 14–14–0 | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amerigol LATAM Cup | ||
 |
2022 Coral Springs | Division 1 |
 |
2021 Coral Springs | Division 1 |
The Puerto Rico national ice hockey team (Spanish: Selección de hockey sobre hielo de Puerto Rico) is the national men's ice hockey team of Puerto Rico. The team is controlled by the Puerto Rico Ice Hockey Association and has been an associate member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) since September 29, 2022.[2] Puerto Rico is currently not ranked in the IIHF World Ranking and has not entered in any IIHF World Championship events, but played in the Amerigol LATAM Cup since 2019.
History
[edit]Amerigol competition
[edit]Amerigol LATAM Cup
[edit]While the LATAM Cup is the only annual competition for Puerto Rico, it is not an IIHF-sanctioned tournament, and therefore does not count towards Puerto Rico's official international record.
Puerto Rico made its international debut in 2019 at the Amerigol LATAM Cup tournament hosted by the Amerigol International Hockey Association. It took place in Coral Springs, Florida, United States. Puerto Rico entered the Division 2 tournament and played four unofficial games against clubs and "B" teams.[3] They defeated Argentina "B" (11–2), then Colombia "B" (5–2), and Brazil "B" (6–0). In the Amerigol LATAM Cup Division 2 final, they lost 6–2 to the Falkland Islands selection team, known as the "Rest of the World", and were awarded a silver medal after finishing in second place.[4]
In 2021, the national team played in the Amerigol LATAM Cup Division 1 tournament, losing 5–4 to the Mexico Selects team. Later that same day, they defeated Argentina, 5–3,[5] which was Puerto Rico's first official international game against another national team.[3] In the semi-finals, they defeated the Mexico Selects team, 6–2. They once again won a silver medal after losing 5–1 to Colombia in the final.[6]
On September 18, 2022, the national team finished first in Division 1 at the 2022 Amerigol LATAM Cup after defeating Argentina 4–3 in the final.[7] Eleven days later, Puerto Rico officially became a new member of the IIHF.[8]
Coaching history
[edit]| Coach | GC | W | OTW | OTL | L | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 |  Ron Robichaud |
4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 2021 |  Unknown Coach |
4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 2022-present |  Paul Cohen |
6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
Tournament record
[edit]Amerigol LATAM Cup
[edit]| Year | Host | Result | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Coral Springs |
Participated unofficially in Division 2 | |||||
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||
| 2021 |  2nd place(Division 1) |
4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 1st place (Division 1) |
6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2023 | did not participate | ||||||
| 2024 | 5th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2025 | Henderson[9] |
hasn't started | |||||
| Total | 2/5 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
Challenger Series
[edit]| Year | Host | Result | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Chicago, Illinois & Dix Hills, New York |
3rd | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 0/1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
Roster
[edit]Last roster update: 1 January 2025 [10]
- Head coach:
- Paul Cohen - Assoc. coach:
- Lee Elias
| # | Position | Name | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Birthplace | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | D | Scott Vargas | (6'1 in) | (186 lb) | July 16, 1991 |  Lithia, Florida
|
(Unattached) |
| 61 | D | Juan Copeland | (5'11 in) | (174 lb) | September 3, 2005 |  Fowlerville, Michigan
|
Blackfalds Bulldogs (BCHL)
|
| F | Griffin Camacho | (6'1) | 181 lbs | March 7, 2003 |  Chesapeake, Virginia
|
Christopher Newport University (NCAA D3) | |
| D | Matthew Castillo | (5'10) | 185 lbs | July 13, 1999 |  Ozone Park, New York
|
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (NCAA D3) | |
| D | Christian Jimenez | (5'9 in) | (194 lb) | March 15, 2002 | Yorktown Heights, New York
|
Harvard University (NCAA D1) | |
| D | Rob Lalonde | (6'4) | 209 lbs | April 27, 1982 | Williamsville, New York
|
 Milenio Logroño (LNHH 2a)
| |
| C | Michael Marquez | (5'11) | 185 lbs | March 18, 2003 |  Upland, California
|
Buffalo State University (NCAA D3) | |
| D | Kyle Miller | (5'9) | 174 lbs | October 14, 2004 | San Jose, California
|
St. Cloud Norsemen (NAHL II) | |
| G | Michal Nabozny | (5'11) | 159 lbs | December 3, 2002 |  Alpha, New Jersey
|
Grand Canyon University (ACHA II) | |
| D | Elijah Nieves | (5'10) | 170 lbs | March 5, 2005 |  Boston, Massachusetts
|
Boston Dukes (EHL) | |
| D | Noah Rosado | (5'9) | 170 lbs | May 20, 2006 |  Rockville, Maryland
|
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (USHS-Prep) | |
| F | Kevin Rosello | (5'10) | 190 lbs | December 27, 2003 | New Port Richey, Florida
|
University of South Florida (AAU II) | |
| C | Makhai Santiago | (5'10) | 146 lbs | February 3, 2006 |  Glastonbury, Connecticut
|
Biggby Coffee AAA Hockey 18U (18U AAA) | |
| C | Roman Templeton | (5'9) | (170 lbs) | July 17, 2004 |  Denver, Colorado
|
Red River Spartans (USPHL Premier) | |
| F | Yandell Vega | (6'0) | 170 lbs | December 3, 2005 | Grand Rapids, Michigan
|
Charlotte Rush (USPHL Elite) | |
| F | Zachary Newman | April 20, 1992 | Pompano Beach, Florida
|
(Unattached) | |||
| F | Dennis Ruppe | Septemebr 27, 1997 | Clifton, New Jersey
|
(Unattached) | |||
| D | Eric Lifvendahl | March 7, 1997 |  Winnetka, Illinois
|
(Unattached) | |||
| D | Rick Rodriguez | October 19, 1989 |  Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
|
(Unattached) | |||
| F | Axel Lifvendahl | November 3, 1995 | Winnetka, Illinois
|
(Unattached) | |||
| D | Alfonso Diaz | April 4, 1994 | Pembroke Pines, Florida
|
(Unattached) | |||
| F | Brett Vargas | January 29, 1995 |
|
(Unattached) | |||
| F | Justin Alejandro | February 26, 1990 | Springfield, Massachusetts
|
(Unattached) | |||
| F | Gilberto Solivan | August 24, 1987 | (Unattached) | ||||
| F | Jason Alejandro | June 2, 1984 | (Unattached) | ||||
| F | Dylan Garcia | April 17, 1998 | Harlem, New York
|
(Unattached) | |||
| F | Kevin Reina | October 15, 1992 | (Unattached) | ||||
| F | Lorenzo Santiago-Vazquez | May 6, 1995 | Ponce, Puerto Rico
|
(Unattached) | |||
| D | Andrew Todaro | December 20, 1997 |  Cleveland, Ohio
|
(Unattached) | |||
| D | Phillip Garcia | November 18, 1996 | Bronx, New York
|
(Unattached) | |||
| F | Logan Cuvo | April 17, 2004 | Bristol, Pennsylvania
|
(Unattached) | |||
| G | Peter Negron | February 17, 1998 | Mahwah, New Jersey
|
(Unattached) | |||
| G | Kevin LeBron | October 11, 1993 | Jackson, New Jersey
|
(Unattached) | |||
| D | Buddy Summers | October 8, 1993 | West Chester, Pennsylvania
|
(Unattached) |
Fixtures and results
[edit]| Against other national teams | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Date | Score | Scores by period | Tournament | Host venue |
 Lebanon
|
19 April 2024 | 3–2 | No information | 2024 Challenger Series [11] | Fifth Third Arena, Chicago, Illinois |
| Jamaica
|
19 April 2024 | 3–6 | No information | ||
| Lebanon
|
20 April 2024 | 4–3 | No information | ||
| Jamaica
|
21 April 2024 | 4–5 | No information | ||
| Lebanon
|
6 June 2024 | 2–5 | No information | Clark Gillies Arena, Dix Hills, New York | |
| Jamaica
|
7 June 2024 | 2–11 | No information | ||
| Lebanon
|
8 June 2024 | 3–6 | No information | ||
| Jamaica
|
7–5 | No information | |||
| Lebanon
|
12 July 2024 | 3–9 | No information | Campus Ice Centre, Oshawa, Canada | |
| Argentina
|
21 August 2024 | 1–8[12] | No information | Amerigol Latam Cup | Florida Panthers IceDen, Coral Springs, Florida |
 Colombia
|
22 August 2024 | 5–3[13] | No information | ||
 Mexico
|
23 August 2024 | 3–6[14] | No information | ||
 Armenia
|
24 August 2024 | 7–3 [15] | No information | Amerigol Latam Cup 5th Place Game | Baptist Health IcePlex, Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Win Loss | |||||
All-time record against other national teams
[edit]Last match update: January 2, 2025[3]
| Positive balance (more Wins) | |
| Neutral balance (Wins = Losses) | |
| Negative balance (more Losses) |
| Team | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 29 |
| Armenia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| Brazil |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 |
| Colombia |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 11 |
| Jamaica |
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 32 | 50 |
| Lebanon |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 25 |
| Mexico |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
 Venezuela |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Total | 29 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 113 | 128 |
References
[edit]- ^ "IIHF Men's World Ranking". IIHF. May 27, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ "Puerto Rico". International Ice Hockey Federation. September 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Puerto Rico Men Official Results" (PDF). National Teams of Ice Hockey. September 18, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ "Schedule and Scores (Division II, 2019)". Amerigol Hockey. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ^ "Schedule and Scores (Division I, 2021)". Amerigol Hockey. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ^ Douglas, William (October 17, 2021). "Colombia wins men's title, Puerto Rico women's team prevails at LATAM Cup". NHL.
- ^ Douglas, William (September 19, 2022). "Color of Hockey: Puerto Rico wins men's Division I title at LATAM Cup". NHL.
- ^ Merk, Martin (September 29, 2022). "Welcome Puerto Rico!". International Ice Hockey Federation.
- ^ https://www.amerigolhockey.com/news/2025-amerigol-latam-spring-classic-in-vegas
- ^ https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/33643/puerto-rico/2022-2023?tab=stats
- ^ https://internationalhockeywiki.com/ihw/index.php/2024_Challenger_Series
- ^ https://gamesheetstats.com/seasons/6631/games/1870439?configuration%5Bnavigation%5D=false&configuration%5Bprimary-colour%5D=FFFFFF&configuration%5Bsecondary-colour%5D=1A1091&filter%5Bdivision%5D=37952&filter%5Bdivision%5D=39138
- ^ https://gamesheetstats.com/seasons/6631/games/1870465?configuration%5Bnavigation%5D=false&configuration%5Bprimary-colour%5D=FFFFFF&configuration%5Bsecondary-colour%5D=1A1091&filter%5Bdivision%5D=37952&filter%5Bdivision%5D=39138
- ^ https://gamesheetstats.com/seasons/6631/games/1870498?configuration%5Bnavigation%5D=false&configuration%5Bprimary-colour%5D=FFFFFF&configuration%5Bsecondary-colour%5D=1A1091&filter%5Bdivision%5D=37952&filter%5Bdivision%5D=39138
- ^ https://gamesheetstats.com/seasons/6631/games/1870517?configuration%5Bnavigation%5D=false&configuration%5Bprimary-colour%5D=FFFFFF&configuration%5Bsecondary-colour%5D=1A1091&filter%5Bdivision%5D=37952&filter%5Bdivision%5D=39138
External links
[edit]- Puerto Rico at National Teams of Ice Hockey
- MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM
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