Ice hockey continues to grow at an impressive rate in New Zealand!

As we near the end of the 2023 playing year, here’s a snapshot of your nationwide ice hockey community!

📅 Youngest registered player: 4 years, 7 months, 20 days
🍰 Oldest registered player: 80 years, 2 months,16 days
🌏 Nationalities represented: 63
✈ Players born overseas: 43%
🇳🇿 Players born in New Zealand: 57%

The 2023 year saw NZIHF membership grow by 9%, primarily in our Learn to Play and Junior age groups. We gained +1 position on the IIHF global membership ranking, now placed 28/81 for total player numbers.

Female participation continues to grow in the sport, with New Zealand ranked 15th globally, for the percentage of female players involved in the sport (23%, +2% vs 2022).

The continued growth and presence of ice hockey throughout New Zealand wouldn’t be possible without the hundreds of volunteers putting in an immeasurable amount of time behind the scenes – thank you for all your support!