Houston Hockey Sets Attendance Record in Annual Event

The third annual Hockey Day in Houston set an attendance record of over 6,000 people.

Over 6,000 people attended the 2026 fan festival on March 21. The other events of the weekend, including the Houston Hockey Hall of Fame Induction and Banquet in addition to local youth hockey tournaments over the weekend saw an additional 1,000 attendees and participants. Through sponsorships and donations, the event raised over $40,000 to be matched by an additional $25,000 to go towards academic scholarships and hockey organizations across the city. These numbers represent a growing trend of interest in the sport across the Texas city; Hockey Day in Houston saw 4,000 in attendance in its first year in 2023 and 5,000 last year.

NHL executive Chie Chie Yard was in attendance at the festival, in addition to Dallas Stars alum Bob Bassen and Houston Aeros alum and 2026 Houston Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Terry Ruskowski.

Lance Rosenberg, co-chair of Hockey Day in Houston, said to NHL On SI that he knew this would be Hockey Day in Houston's biggest year yet.

"Coming off the momentum from the Olympics, we knew there was going to be growth," Rosenberg said in an exclusive. "It just means the interest in hockey is there for Houston."

NAHL Junior Team to Houston Announcement Spurs Hockey Growth

On March 18, it was announced that the North American Hockey League (NAHL) team of the North Iowa Bulls will relocate to Houston and compete as the Houston Bulls in the NAHL South Division.

The relocation begins with the 2026–27 season and the team will play at the new Deep South Ice & Sports Center in Richmond, Texas which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2026.

"Any and all hockey that we can bring to this city is good for hockey in Houston. It's good for our customers and it's good for the fans of the sport," said TC Lewis, one of the General Managers of the Deep South Ice & Sports Complex, who is also the General Manager and Hockey Director at the Aerodrome Ice Skating Complex.

The Bulls were in attendance at the event, with there seemingly always being a line at their booth which was giving out NAHL information, in addition to advertising for partnerships and season tickets.

Just got done covering a big turn out @HockeyDayInHTX, w/ plenty of big names (Howe family, Dallas Stars alum, an NHL exec) on-site!

Lots of local booths on how you can get involved in the city’s hockey community — there was always a line at the booth for the new @HoustonBulls pic.twitter.com/eITQAjLNLP
— Jennifer Streeter (@JennyStreeter3) March 21, 2026

Additionally, Mark and Marty Howe were also present throughout the weekend — honoring their father Gordie Howe who played in 1,767 NHL games (most notably with the Detroit Red Wings) and concluded his career with 1,850 points and four Stanley Cup championships.

The Howe Foundation is dedicated to sharing the life-long passion for sports with everyone, focusing on two core missions, putting kids first and recognizing women in the business of sports as guided by the family’s legacy. The previously mentioned $25,000 donation match came from The Howe Foundation in efforts to help grow the sport of hockey in Houston.

Mark, Marty Howe attend 2026 Hockey Day in Houston, honor late father, NHL star Gordie Howe with t-shirts. | CREDIT: Jennifer Streeter, Breakaway On SI

A noteworthy number of women and local girls hockey players from the Houston Storm were in attendance at the event.

Fran Shuman is the President of Women's Hockey Outreach Association of Houston. She said hockey is also growing at the girls and women's levels across the city.

"There are no words," Shuman said. "Really there are no words. Just to see this many people excited about hockey in Houston is absolutely incredible. The number of women that have come to our tent and said, 'I want to learn about hockey. I want to play hockey.' And I think just that's why we're here."

University of Houston and Rice Ice Hockey were also on site, as was Houston Hellhouds Sled Hockey. The event was held at Saint Arnold Brewing Company, which offered everything from fresh pizzas, elevated bar food, hearty IPAs and fresh ciders.

The success of 2026 Hockey Day in Houston follows USA Hockey going three for three in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics — with the U.S. men, women and Paralympic teams all winning the gold medal.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!