Jamaica’s ice hockey team back in action next month

JAMAICA’S SENIOR men’s ice hockey team is down to play in a tournament in Montreal at the end of August.

The tournament, recognised by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), represents an important step forward for Jamaica’s ice hockey programme.

Scheduled to run from August 30 to September 4, the Jamaicans will compete against national teams from Lebanon, Morocco and Argentina.

This represents the first outing for the team since it beat all opponents in the LATAM Cup last October in Fort Lauderdale. The LATAM Cup was not recognised by the IIHF.

Jamaica were the defending champions of the cup, having won the tournament in 2019, but were not allowed to compete for it in 2021 because the team was considered to be too strong for the competition.

Jamaica played as an exhibition team, scoring 58 goals and allowing just seven in their six matches.

The Montreal tournament will be Jamaica’s biggest test to date, as both Morocco and Lebanon have seasoned teams that play regularly together.

Jamaica has beaten Argentina comfortably on both occasions when the teams have met.

The Jamaica team is expected to be comprised of mostly players who competed in the LATAM Cup but should also be bolstered by a few new young players who have come under the radar of the Jamaica Ice Hockey Federation (JIHF).

JIHF President Don Anderson says the team, which will be announced by August 20, will once again be coached by Jamaican Chris Stewart, a former NHL player with more than 700 games under his belt.