NHL STREET is the NHL’s official Youth Street Hockey League that brings new style, energy and gameplay to the sport of hockey. The North America-wide program aims to create an affordable, neighborhood-based model that gives kids everywhere an opportunity to learn and play.
Designed for children ages 6 to 16 years old, NHL STREET makes youth athletes feel like the pros when they suit up in authentic uniforms to play in high-energy contests.
In partnership with RCX Sports, NHL STREET has more than 100 active leagues in 28 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces. Equipment for the programs is provided by Franklin, an NHL partner. BODYARMOR Sports Drink supports each program with squeeze bottles and sports towels.
The San Juan event and NHL STREET are supported by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association, through the Industry Growth Fund. The fund was created as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2013 to support and accelerate the development of League and Club initiatives and projects that promote long-term fan development and increase participation in hockey at all levels.
Rob Knesaurek, NHL senior vice president, youth development and industry growth, congratulated PRIHA for its work on NHL STREET, Fiesta de Hockey and its efforts to expand hockey’s reach.
“Fiesta de Hockey represents everything that makes our sport special — community, passion, inclusion, and a shared love of the game,” Knesaurek said. “From NHL STREET programming to local league development and school-based hockey initiatives, the work being done in Puerto Rico is creating new pathways for participation and inspiring the next generation of players.
“Growing the game means meeting communities where they are, and we are proud to support efforts that expand hockey’s reach and make the sport more accessible for everyone,” Knesaurek added.
NHL STREET in San Juan is PRIHA’s latest in its drive to establish men’s and women’s ice hockey programs that include islands-trained players that can someday compete in International Ice Hockey Federation world championships and the Winter Olympics.
Founded in 2020 with Puerto Rican heritage players from across North America, PRIHA has achieved success on ice. Its men’s and women’s teams have won championships at the Amerigol LATAM Cup, an annual tournament played in Coral Springs, Florida.
Puerto Rico became an IIHF associate member on September 29, 2022. Its women’s team won the 2025 IIHF Women’s 3X3 Series in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November after capturing the silver medal in the inaugural tournament in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2024.