Driving the Game: How Major Organizations Are Fueling the Growth of Ball Hockey

Local Outreach with the Florida Panthers

In March of 2025, the Florida Panthers hosted their first-ever Cat’s Cup. This street hockey tournament is for all ages and genders, with outdoor arenas set up and official referees. It’d be tough in Florida to find an outdoor pond to play ice hockey; however, parking lots and streets are bountiful. The Panthers’ ability to engage with their community through street hockey demonstrates its accessibility to beginners in warmer climates. Kids who may watch the Panthers on TV but do not have access to an ice rink can pick up a stick, place a net in the parking lot and develop their stick handling, shooting and passing. Additionally, the Cat’s Cup will display a more competitive side as adults demonstrate their ability with a ball at the end of their stick. Official game-like settings allow street hockey to exhibit talented players and this sport’s high skill ceiling. Hosting this tournament for adults and youth displays ball hockey’s ability to drive fierce competition and encourage newcomers to play the game.

This is not the first time the Florida Panthers have included ball hockey in their community engagement programs. They also have a Learn To Play Ball Hockey program that encourages children from ages 5 to 14 to develop their fundamentals of ice hockey through ball hockey. The Panthers state this program is “designed to provide new and affordable opportunities for families to join the local hockey community.” Certified USA Ball Hockey coaches are enlisted to help the children learn the basics of hockey with age-appropriate drills. The Florida Panthers’ ability to adapt to their location and fans allows them to grow the game of ball hockey with accessible options, providing everyone a chance to fall in love with the game.

Not only do the Panthers run this Learn to Play program, but they also have a floor ball program. While this may be a different sport from ball hockey, it is still an inspiring act by the Panthers’ organization. The floor ball program provides schools with nets, sticks, and balls to train local Physical Education teachers to incorporate the sport into their classes.There are 562 Schools in Florida that have adopted this program, highlighting its significant outreach and impact in the community. Once again, by growing the game’s base, the Panthers are helping build a sustainable future for ball hockey, providing new talent and competition at all levels.

Barstool Sports and the Chiclets Cup

American social media and sports giant Barstool Sports has also brought immense exposure to ball hockey in recent years. The hockey podcast titled Spittin’ Chiclets and its hosts, Paul Bissonnette, Ryan Whitney, and Brian McGonagle, have established an extremely popular ball hockey tournament. The Chiclets Cup began in 2021 as a way for the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast to engage with their community and bring hockey enthusiasts together. Most recently, the Chiclets Cup was held in London, Ontario, and was the first cup to be held as an international tournament. Before London, the cup remained within the USA; however, more teams and talented players could be showcased by including Canada in the competition.

In a video on their YouTube channel, a camera crew follows Bissonnettee and Terry Ryan Jr, both former professional ice hockey players, throughout the tournament. This team is known as the Big Deal Selects, and when watching the video, ball hockey enthusiasts may recognize a few faces. The video opens with Terry Ryan introducing newcomers to his team, the 2024 ISBHF Men’s MVP Josh Anderson and his linemate, the ball hockey dude himself, J.P. Moquin. Both are exceptional world-class players and have been sought after to play in the Chciclets Cup.

Another team that entered the tournament was the Midnight Express. Coach James “Chiki” Mendes has built this team for years, and their experience and talent led them to win the tournament. This team is comprised of the best players in Ontario and has ties to the World Stage. Chiki is a coach on Team Great Britain, while some of his players represent Team Canada and others represent their heritage nations. The ISBHF was strongly represented at this event, and it is essential to stake a claim to these players who have showcased their immense talent on the international level to bring in new fans to the game. The Spittin’ Chiclets YouTube channel has 389 thousand subscribers, and the most recent Chiclets Cup video has 116 thousand views. When you combine the Chiclets Cup videos on their channel, the views add up to hundreds of thousands. There is a market for ball hockey within social media, and people want to watch the game. By helping guide these viewers to the correct channels, the ball hockey community and the ISBHF can put on even bigger and better events.

The Washington Capitals and Team USA

The Washington Capitals are another NHL organization that has entered the ball hockey world. They recently sponsored the USA’s women’s ball hockey team at the 2024 ISBHF Championships. The Capitals’ program, ALL CAPS ALL HER, encourages girls to play hockey. They have hosted free ball hockey clinics where girls aged 5 to 17 learn to play ball hockey from the Capitals’ youth hockey staff and the Women’s ball hockey team coaches. The ALL CAPS ALL HER have also launched their Sticks and Sneakers Learn to Play program, where girls aged 5-14 receive free equipment and three weeks of skill-based training. Both programs elevate the women’s game and teach newcomers the fundamentals, raising the skill ceiling for women everywhere. Not only do they help girls learn how to play, but on their website, the Washington Capitals provide resources for families in the D.C area to access girls’ hockey programs and for women to join coaching and referee courses.

Additionally, there are business and sports networking events for women to reach out and find administrative roles in the sports industry. The Capitals have demonstrated their dedication to growing the game for women by providing accessible training sessions and job opportunities for women. Ball hockey grows its foundation and strength by giving young girls and women more opportunities to fulfill essential roles on and off the floor.

While these organizations are making meaningful contributions to the growth of the sport and the development of the women’s game, the ball hockey community needs to highlight these events and encourage more mainstream media attention. Bringing awareness to our talented players and dedicated volunteers, new players, and fans will get more sponsorships and enable reinvestment into the game. The Florida Panthers, Spittin’ Chiclets and Washington Capitals represent organizations bringing awareness and exposure to ball hockey. From grassroots development to entertaining international competition on the streets of North American cities or at the ISBHF Championship, these organizations fuel inclusivity and progress toward a brighter f