Haiti men's national ice hockey team

Lore & Background

Haiti played a friendly match against Lebanon on 23 April 2017 in Saint-Laurent, a borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with both teams making their international debut. The Haitian team was defeated by the Lebanese team, 7–4. Former NHL player Georges Laraque, whose parents were born in Haiti, played for the Haitian team, among others. The Haitian team was coached by a Canadian former minor-league player Robert Haddock. While Haiti maintains a ball hockey national team that has played at the Ball Hockey World Championship, there is currently no governing body for ice hockey in the country.

Most notable players of Haitian-origin have played in Canada. Claude Vilgrain played in 89 games for five seasons in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers, Maxime Boisclair played in 176 games for eight seasons in the Quebec-based minor league, Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, and Zack Stringer (2003) formerly of the Regina Pats in the Canadian major junior league, Western Hockey League. Stringer now plays for the Brock Badgers in the OUA. Vilgrain additionally represented Canada at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. André Mattsson, also of Haitian-origin, played for 13 seasons in several Swedish leagues (Elitserien, HockeyAllsvenskan and Division 2). Vilgrain, Boisclair and Mattsson were all born in Port-au-Prince. Stringer was born in Mirebalais and adopted by a Canadian couple and raised in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Reader's Guide

The Haiti national ice hockey team is notable as an unofficial national team outside the IIHF, composed exclusively of Haitians living in Canada. Its only international game to date was a friendly against Lebanon on 23 April 2017, a match that marked the international debut of both teams. The presence of former NHL player Georges Laraque, whose parents were born in Haiti, added a high-profile element to the team. The team was coached by Canadian former minor-league player Robert Haddock. The article notes that Haiti has no governing body for ice hockey, though it does maintain a ball hockey national team that competes at the Ball Hockey World Championship. The team's significance lies in its representation of the Haitian diaspora in Canada and its role in introducing Haiti to international ice hockey, even if only in a single exhibition match. The article also highlights several players of Haitian origin who have played at high levels abroad, including Claude Vilgrain (NHL and 1988 Winter Olympics for Canada), Maxime Boisclair (minor league in Quebec), Zack Stringer (Canadian junior and university hockey), and André Mattsson (Swedish leagues). These players underscore the potential for Haitian participation in ice hockey, despite the lack of a domestic federation.

Did You Know?

• The Haiti national ice hockey team is made up exclusively of Haitians living in Canada.
• The team played its only international game on 23 April 2017, a 7–4 loss to Lebanon.
• Former NHL player Georges Laraque played for Haiti in that match.
• Haiti has no governing body for ice hockey, only a ball hockey national team.