Challenger Series win gives Jamaica ice hockey confidence

A TROPICAL country winning a winter sport against countries with that season is not ordinary, but the Jamaican hockey team proved themselves extraordinary when they claimed the Challenger Series recently.

The Jamaican team outmatched Lebanon 12-8 in the final at the College Ice Arena in Toronto to take the title and head coach, Ted Cheesebrough, said the win was important to the team and its development.

“Winning the Challenger Series title confirmed our belief that Jamaican ice hockey can compete with, and succeed against, anybody on the international stage,” he said.

The Challenger Series is a new tournament involving Puerto Rico, Lebanon, and Jamaica – all associate members of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IHF).

The Challenger Series began in Chicago in April, continued in New York in June, and culminated in Toronto on July 20.

Cheesebrough said preparing for the competition came with a lot of challenges.

“When our players are in season in the winter, they play at clubs all over Canada, the United States, and Europe. When we came together to play the challenger series in Chicago, New York City, and Toronto, we used the small amount of time we had to pull the group together and talk about what would make us successful. It helps that many of our players knew one another while growing up,” he said.

But the challenges don’t stop there.

“The biggest challenges we face are behind the scenes, as we are in need of community support and financial support in order to stay competitive. All of our players were either born in Jamaica or their parents were born in Jamaica, so we are Jamaican to our core. The team that we field is going to continue to have success, so we are hopeful to receive funds and contributions from individuals, companies, and organisations who wish to attach their support and goodwill to a group of winners, who proudly represent Jamaica,” said the coach.

Despite the challenges, the team still has big goals.

“We want to continue to grow our profile and our visibility, and after playing nearly a dozen games in 2024, we look to continue our momentum in 2025, including defending this Challenger Series trophy,” Cheesebrough said.

“It’s great for us as a team and an organisation. Lots of dedication from everyone from the board to the players,” team captain Taos Jordan said. “We are hoping to play some other countries in the future and grow our programme with more players trying out and getting involved with the game,” said the skipper.

The Jamaicans won six of their nine matches in the series and have now competed in 22 matches since 2019. Their record currently stands at 16 wins and six losses, with more than 100 goals to their tally.

Don Anderson, president of the Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation (JOIHF), said the organisation continues to set its sights on establishing an ice rink in Jamaica, as well as building a strong local programme that will facilitate the team playing in qualifying tournaments for the Olympics.

He added that expert opinion is that this team could be highly ranked globally if it had the opportunity to play among countries with ice rinks.