Meet Team Puerto Rico

2024 Dream Nations Cup Results: 

Did Not Participate

Puerto Rico Brings Experience to Dream Nations Cup

One of the most intriguing on-ice aspects of the Dream Nations Cup is the vast diversity of experience levels between the programs involved. While every team is a high-quality club, some are just starting their journeys in international hockey, while others are veterans of the international tournament circuit. Tournament newcomer Puerto Rico will bring a rich pedigree of success and experience to this year’s field in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

The Puerto Rican Ice Hockey Association was created in 2020 to bring formal structure to a Puerto Rico team that had competed in a few international tournaments. Since the organization’s founding in 2020, its men’s, women’s, and youth teams have all experienced notable success.

The Puerto Rico men’s program recently claimed the IIHF Men’s Development Cup in their first appearance in an IIHF event. That result followed the women’s debut in the IIHF competition, where they captured 2nd place in the 3v3 category. With multiple top-three finishes in several international tournaments, both teams are riding high coming into the Dream Nations Cup. 

Lee Elias, the new head coach for the women’s team, spoke about how his team has built such a winning culture in a short time after finishing second in their last international event.

“I’m so grateful that was the first team I got to coach as part of this program. The foundation they set, not just for our values, but for the foundation of this team and association, was excellent.” Elias said, “That’s where the success comes from. Believing in one another and knowing we have a great future. I’m so proud of that team.

The men’s and women’s teams will be looking for another strong performance as they make their first Dream Nations appearance. 

A Family Environment

One of Team Puerto Rico’s most apparent attributes is its tight-knit group. The team stays close despite the organization boasting over 300 athletes across the Americas. Sofia Alvarez, a skater for the team, talked about the team atmosphere permeating the organization.

“With the friendships that form from this team, I don’t feel like we’re ever disconnected. We may not talk daily, but we all follow each other on social media and have a group chat.” Alvarez said, “As soon as we are together, we never left. We’re pretty much a family now. I think we share our love for the island (Puerto Rico) and the history of being with the team and watching it grow. That’s brought us together.”

Another initiative that keeps the team together is the Fiesta De Hockey, the team’s flagship event. At this event, all of their teams across age groups converge in one place to celebrate Puerto Rican ice hockey. PRIHA holds the event in multiple locations some years, but Fiesta De Hockey regularly emanates from Chicago, as it does this year.

The event is not only a chance for the teams to play games but also for the local community to engage with the team. Fans can watch the games, participate in public skates, meet the team, and more. 

Fiesta De Hockey is crucial to the team’s outreach efforts, but it’s also an opportunity for the organization to come closer together to each other and the Puerto Rican community. Sofia Alvarez spoke about the energy surrounding the event. 

“I’ve noticed the amount of fans who come out who may not even know anything about hockey. They come because they’re Puerto Rican and want to celebrate our shared culture.” Alvarez said, “It’s great to see it sparking interest in the sport just because of the strong culture and love for the island.”

Lofty Goals Driving Puerto Rico

While Fiesta De Hockey is a huge event for team building, it also helps grow access to the game, something the team sees as a significant part of their mission. 

In its short history, PRIHA has amassed nearly 400 Puerto Rican athletes as members, including players from the island and Puerto Ricans living throughout the Americas. While the team has been massively successful in growing the game on the island, there are, of course, issues with running ice hockey events on a Caribbean island. 

Lee Elias talked about those issues and how PRIHA attempts to overcome them.

“There’s no active ice rink or many hockey shops. We’re diligently working to get ice back on the island. So there are barriers to accessing equipment and locations to play.” Elias said, “We’re always working with brand partners or finding ways to get more access to hockey on the island. We’re focused on growing the game there; it’s one of our main goals.”

Puerto Rico Ice Hockey has lofty goals for growing the game, but they also have grand designs for the team’s success. When asked what the team’s long-term goals were, Lee Elias put them in no uncertain terms. 

“What I can tell you is that our goal is to get to the IIHF World Championship and win a gold medal.”

Elias also mentioned that they don’t overlook opportunities and consider every event they play in a crucial step toward that goal. But their intentions are singular. 

You can follow Puerto Rico’s Ice Hockey’s journey on social media. Catch them at the 2025 Dream Nations Cup in New York City from May 27 to June 1.