Ice hockey in Arkansas

Ice hockey in Arkansas
Flag of Arkansas
Country	United States
Governing body	USA Hockey
National team(s)	Men's national team Women's national team
First played	1998
Club competitions
List ECHL (minor professional) NAHL (junior)

Arkansas has a fleeting association with ice hockey in the United States. The Natural State has had only brief flirts with the game but has largely been uninterested in ice hockey.

History

Despite several of its neighbors being targets of ice hockey expansion over the years, Arkansas did not receive its first official franchise until the late 1990s. The Arkansas GlacierCats debuted in 1998 at the Barton Coliseum in Little Rock. In spite of, or perhaps due to, the introduction of the sport, the GlacierCats were well situated in their first season. The team finished well above .500 and managed to draw more than 4,000 attendees per game in its first season. Unfortunately, the team found itself in a battle for the spotlight when the Arkansas RiverBlades appeared the following season. The RiverBlades' arrival was delayed by a year as they waited for the Alltel Arena to be finished and the new building gave them a leg up. The two teams, both based in Little Rock, often had games occurring on the same day or even at the same time. While the RiverBlades were able to get nearly 4,000 on a given night, the GlacierCats saw their attendance drop by more than 1,000 and, with the ill health of their league, the team folded after the year. The good times for the RiverBlades did not continue, however as their attendance dropped after a solid first season. Dave Berryman sold a 51% interest in the team to Equity Media Holdings in 2001 but the team's situation continued to worsen. By 2002 the team saw fewer than 3,000 fans per game and, despite seeing a slight increase in their fourth season, the team folded in 2003.

The following year, junior hockey came to Arkansas with the Texarkana Bandits. The team began well, posting a winning season in its first year and then increasing its win total over the following two campaigns. Unfortunately, when a more promising spot opened in the St. Louis market, the team moved despite increased interest from the local community.

College Hockey

The University of Arkansas fields an American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) team known as the Arkansas Razorbacks Hockey Club. The team competes in Division II & III of the ACHA and has contributed to the growth of ice hockey in Arkansas since its establishment in 2007. The program has achieved significant milestones, including multiple regional tournament appearances and fostering the development of college hockey in the region.

Teams

Professional

Inactive

Team	City	League	Years Active	Fate
Arkansas GlacierCats	Little Rock	WPHL	1998–2000	Defunct
Arkansas RiverBlades	Little Rock	ECHL	1999–2003	Defunct

Junior

Inactive

Team	City	League	Years Active	Fate
Texarkana Bandits	Texarkana	NAHL	2003–2006	Minnesota Wilderness

* Relocated from elsewhere

Collegiate

Active

Team	City	League	Division	Founded	Home Arena
Arkansas Razorbacks Hockey Club	Fayetteville	ACHA	Division II & III	2007	The Jones Center, Springdale, Arkansas

Timeline

  Active     Active (out of state)   --->

Players

As of 2023, no players from Arkansas have achieved notability in ice hockey. The state, as a whole, has one of the lowest engagement rates in the nation. Just 415 people were registered with USA Hockey in 2022, good enough for 0.012% of the population. Both numbers are 48th in the nation.