Patrik Yngvér
Axios’ local website in Raleigh, North Carolina, published a report on youth hockey’s rise in the state’s Research Triangle region.
This stat popped off the screen: Hockey participation in the Southeast has grown 7X compared to the rest of the country since 1990, according to USA Hockey.
The Axios report credits population shifts from northern states into southern states as well as the Carolina Hurricanes and the wave of NHL expansion and relocation teams that arrived in the region over the last 30ish years — and have won Stanley Cups once they settled in.
Putting the 7X figure into context:
USA Hockey had a record 578K registered players in 2024-25
Youth hockey registrations increased 10% from 2014-15 to 2024-25
Girls/women’s hockey grew about 40% in that time span
A roughly 20% increase in entry age registrations (and greater retention)
Which brings us to one of Buying Sandlot’s favorite topics: Utah.
(We’re going to be as big as the Osmonds in the Beehive State by the 2034 Winter Games)
The Utah Mammoth are going all-out to grow hockey in the nation’s fastest-growing state.
Owner Ryan Smith has pledged up to $10M to build 20 rinks in the state
The Mammoth’s new practice facility will be open to youth hockey
A significant number of heavily-discounted home game tickets for youth hockey
4-5 youth hockey events each week during the NHL season
A push to have 70K participants in the Junior Mammoth program within five years
The team and Salt Lake City officials reportedly studied hockey-arrival cases like Nashville and Raleigh … and are throwing jet fuel on proven practices that sparked participation surges.
Throw in the aforementioned Winter Olympics and the fact Utah is arguably the winter sports capital of the country and it is not hard to envision a scenario where the Mammoth spark a even greater hockey gold rush.
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