Navidad Sled Tournament is a Free Family Event for Spectators All Weekend Long Weekend of Adaptive Hockey at Outpost Ice Arenas Includes Three-Game Homestand for NA3HL NM Ice Wolves Against the Austin Ice Bats

(Albuquerque, NM) Monday, December 4, 2023 – The New Mexico Ice Wolves®, Outpost Ice Arenas and the New Mexico Blade Runners today announced the first ever adaptive sport sled hockey tournament in New Mexico as the Navidad Sled Hockey Tournament brings teams from Arizona and Nevada to town running Friday-Sunday, December 8-10, 2023. The Navidad Sled Hockey Tournament is a USA Hockey sanctioned adaptive sports tournament and will feature seven games with teams from three states and several young players on the path to becoming national sled hockey stars as they battle it out for the Navidad Championship. The Navidad Sled Hockey Tournament is a family friendly event with no fee for admission.

 

“New Mexico Blade Runners Sled Hockey is excited to host the first ever sled hockey tournament in New Mexico. We have traveled to local and national tournaments throughout the year so we are thrilled to finally host a tournament here at home,” said Thomas East, player coach for the New Mexico Blade Runners. “The New Mexico Blade Runners are all about inclusivity so we welcome anyone who cannot play regular hockey due to some physical challenge to join. This sport can be an amazing experience for someone who struggles with mobility in their daily life giving them an unforgettable experience in a sled while playing a team sport which some have never had the opportunity to do before.”

The New Mexico Blade Runners non-profit sled hockey team was started in 2014 with a handful of disabled athletes and dedicated volunteers. The program has continued to grow and mature. In 2023 the Blade Runners won the USAH National Championship in the Tier 6 bracket. To learn more about The New Mexico Blade Runners or make a donation to help support local sled hockey please visit their sled hockey programs page and follow them on their Facebook page. Similar to wheelchair basketball, sled hockey follows most of the typical ice hockey rules with the exception some of the equipment. Players sit in specially designed sleds that sit on top of two hockey skate blades. There are two sticks for each player instead of one and the sticks have metal picks on the butt end for players to propel themselves. Goalies wear basically the same equipment but do make modifications to the glove. Metal picks are sewn into the backside to allow the goalie to maneuver. Sled

hockey provides opportunities for many types of disabilities at the local level for recreation/competition, all the way to the National Sled Team that plays in World Championships and the Paralympics.

Navidad Sled Hockey Tournament Schedule (all times MT):

 

Friday, December 8 Rink Home Away

5:00 – 6:15pm South NM Blade Runners Reno Ice

8:45 – 10:00pm South Phoenix Coyotes NM Blade Runners

 

Saturday, December 9

8:15 – 9:30am North Phoenix Coyotes Reno Ice

12:15 – 1:30pm North NM Blade Runners Phoenix Coyotes

4:15 – 5:30pm South Reno Ice Phoenix Coyotes

8:45 – 10:00pm South NM Blade Runners Reno Ice

 

Sunday, December 10

8:30 – 9:45am North Championship: Top two teams

 

 

The full weekend of hockey at Outpost Ice Arenas also features the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) NM Ice Wolves team hosting the Austin Ice Bats for a three-game homestand. Friday and Saturday, December 8-9 games start at 6:30pm MT and Sunday, December 10 game starts at 2pm MT. Single game, season tickets and Flex Plan ticket packs for the NA3HL NM Ice Wolves are available at tickets.3hlnmicewolves.com or at Outpost Ice Arenas. Every NM Ice Wolves, NAHL and NA3HL game can also be watched exclusively on the new NAHL TV streaming service (nahltv.com) where fans can experience the quality of NM Ice Wolves TV productions and the fun of watching hockey on television. Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Android smart TV apps are available for NAHL TV.

Click here for NA3HL NM Ice Wolves ticket package options: *New for the 2023-2024 season is reserved seating Full season 14 remaining home games: Reserved Chair Seats (Rows F – J) – $360 Reserved Bleacher Seats (Rows A – E) – $215

 

12 Game Flex Pack: Pick your games: Reserved Chair Seats (Rows F – J) – $180

Reserved Bleacher Seats (Rows A – E) – $120

 

6 Game Flex Pack: Pick your games: Reserved Chair Seats (Rows F – J) – $90

Reserved Bleacher Seats (Rows A – E) – $60

 

 

Season tickets and Flex Plan ticket packs for both the NAHL and NA3HL NM Ice Wolves are available now at tickets.nmicewolves.com.

 

About NAHL Entering its 49th season in 2023-24, the North American Hockey League (NAHL), the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior league boasting 32 teams from across North America, prides itself on the social maturity and skill development of student-athletes ages 16-20 with aspirations of advancing to collegiate and/or professional hockey. During the 2022-23 season, the NAHL recorded 363 NCAA commitments, including 256 NCAA Division I commitments. In addition, 38% of all NCAA Division I freshmen played in the NAHL and seven players with NAHL ties were selected in the 2023 NHL Draft.

 

About the NA3HL Entering its 14th season in 2023-24, the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior league and serves as one of the top training grounds in the country by providing the best coaching, exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes in its classification. The primary mission of the NA3HL, which is managed organizationally by the North American Hockey League (NAHL), is to provide a structured developmental environment for student-athletes who have aspirations of playing in Tier I or II junior hockey and eventually the NCAA or American College Hockey Association. For more information, visit www.na3hl.com

 

About NAHL TV

Starting with the 2023-24 season, every game and all of the action of NAHL and its development partners in the NA3HL and NAPHL can be watched exclusively on NAHL TV. NAHL TV is the exclusive television home of all three leagues with flexible subscription options that include single game, monthly or annual subscriptions. NAHL TV is available at www.nahltv.com and will soon be available on an NAHL TV app on Roku, AppleTV, FireTV and Chromecast for additional convenience.