Dream Nations Cup 2024 Recap

Article by Robert Brent

Hockey is a global game. The belief that people from all nations and backgrounds can come together to enjoy the game is one of its greatest strengths. More people fall in love with hockey every year, and new people come into our game. While several countries have a long history and strong infrastructure with hockey, there are many looking to get into the game in places that don’t have that same luxury. The emergence of hockey in new markets is something to be celebrated and supported, and that is the goal of the Dream Nations Cup. 

The Dream Nations Cup, presented by CCM, is an invitational international tournament that celebrates and highlights the emergence of hockey in non-traditional hockey markets and communities.

The tournament debuted in 2024 and gave 10 teams from five continents the chance to compete in a major tournament against other developing national hockey programs. The Dream Nations Cup was conceived as an opportunity for emerging hockey programs to spotlight the progress they’ve made and are making as a program and showcase world-class hockey. 

Six men’s teams (Algeria, Armenia, Central America, Egypt, Team Indigenous and Mexico), along with four women’s teams (Caribbean, Egypt, Team Indigenous and Netherlands) descended on The Rink at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey last April to compete for the ultimate prize as the Dream Nations Cup Champion.

2024 Women’s Recap

The 2024 Dream Nations Cup featured fantastic action on the women’s side of the bracket. Egypt and Indigenous opened the tournament with a closely contested matchup that saw Egypt get its first win as a women’s program. Indigenous’s third-period goal started a rally, but the game ended 3-2 when the comeback attempt came up short. The two teams met again in the third-place match, where Egypt captured bronze in a 4-1 victory.

While the debut of Egypt and Team Indigenous was an exciting storyline, the competitive rivalry between Team Caribbean and the Netherlands took center stage. The two teams played a thriller on opening day that set the standard for how close the two teams were in skill. Team Caribbean picked up the victory 6-5 after scoring three goals in the third period to mount a huge comeback. 

Team Caribbean and Netherlands would meet again in the women’s finals for a three-game series to decide the winner. Game one was a duel between the two team’s goaltenders. Caribbean’s Raven Reaves put together a dazzling performance, making 27 saves on 29 shots. Netherlands’ netminder Sam Ubl responded with a 26-save effort on 27 shots. The Netherlands avenged the round-robin stage defeat and skated away with a 1-0 series lead. 

Game two was similarly intense, though much higher-scoring. Caribbean’s Julia Franklin, a forward at Alvernia University, headlined the game with a two-goal effort. The Netherlands’ Shannon Ferrel registered a two-point night for her team with a goal and an assist. Team Caribbean ended up tying the series by a score of 5-3, setting up a deciding game three.

While every previous game between the two teams had ended in a close score, the Netherlands pulled away in an intense and decisive game three. Laura Murphy scored twice for her team, giving her five goals in the tournament. With a 5-1 victory, the Netherlands became the inaugural women’s champion of the Dream Nations Cup.

2024 Men’s Recap

The men’s side of the bracket also featured high-quality and intense hockey, though with a different format. Due to more teams, the men’s side ended in a single-elimination tournament instead of a three-game series. 

One of the main storylines of the men’s side included a high-powered team Egypt attack that produced some of the top scorers in the tournament. Austin Whelan, Hossam Abdelaal and Mathieu Courchesne Ishak all registered double-digit points. Egypt would go on to defeat Mexico in the quarterfinals once the playoffs started to advance to the semi-finals.

On the other side of the quarterfinal brackets, Team Indigenous took down Central America in a 3-1 game. The Indigenous team also defeated Central America in the round-robin portion of the play. Team Indigenous would fall to Algeria in an incredibly tightly contested semi-final matchup. Algeria’s Kamyl Chemrouk registered three assists in a 4-3 victory to send Algeria to the finals. 

On the other side, Armenia defeated Egypt in a 3-1 game. Armenia’s Tomas Zourikian and Alexei Dikranian had two-point nights, while Egypt’s Mathieu Courchesne Ishak tallied the lone goal for Egypt. The results of the two semis set up the same matchup for the third-place game as the women’s side. Indigenous vs. Egypt. 

Team Indigenous reversed their fortunes in a high-octane matchup and defeated Egypt to capture bronze in the men’s bracket. Going into the third period, the game was a one-goal game, but an offensive explosion in the final frame gave Team Indigenous the victory. Kessler Skye had a gargantuan four-point game with two goals and two assists. 

Much like the women’s final, the men’s final featured two teams that played a one-goal game in the round-robin portion of the tournament. Algeria defeated Armenia 4-3 on the tournament’s third day, and the two teams met again in the finals. The championship game would be another close affair, though a much higher-scoring one. Algeria and Armenia played to a 6-6 stalemate, needing overtime to decide the winner. Algeria ultimately became the inaugural Dream Nations Cup men’s champion with a 7-6 victory in overtime. Algeria’s Ilies Djemel had a monster game with three goals and four assists, which gave Algeria their first major win as a hockey nation.

Tournament Firsts and Looking Forward

The 2024 Dream Nations Cup featured countless moments on the ice, but some of the milestones and accomplishments off the ice were just as exciting.  Many of the participating teams rarely have the opportunity to play together. Clubs like Central America and the Caribbean are composed of competitors from several nations, so the event is a rare opportunity for the team to convene and play. Ryan Davis launched the men’s and women’s Indigenous teams. Egypt Ice Hockey debuted its first women’s team and captured a bronze medal. Sameh Ramadan, an Egypt Ice Hockey managing member and forward for the men’s team, talked to NHL.com about the excitement surrounding the launch of Egypt’s women’s team.

“Witnessing the birth of the first Egyptian women’s ice hockey team is not only a personal triumph,” Ramadan said, “but it’s also a pivotal moment in shaping the future of developing hockey within Northern Africa, within the Middle East, within the Arab countries.” 

Sameh’s daughters Malac and Danna played on the team. Team Egypt’s story is just one of many, as all the teams who played at the Dream Nations Cup had a platform to create buzz for their country, play as a team, and create memories that will last forever. 

While the Dream Nations Cup was a massive success in its inaugural year, the event will get even more significant in 2025. The field is expanding. All six women’s teams will compete against each other, while the men’s teams will be split into divisions. 

Team Lebanon will debut on the women’s side along with returning teams Egypt, Netherlands, Caribbean, and Indigenous. Meanwhile, the men’s side will feature newcomers Caribbean, Cuba, Pakistan, and Brazil. The quartet of newcomers join returning sides Armenia, Indigenous, Central America, Egypt, Mexico, and Caribbean. 

Rosters for the 2025 Dream Nations Cup will be announced in March, and tickets will go on sale soon.