History of Ice Hockey in Costa Rica
 Bruce Callow, Founder and Head Coach |
Ice hockey started in Costa Rica 1996 using the synthetic Viking Ice skating surface and was founded by Canadian Bruce Callow. The first official game was played on April 30 1996 between the Peewee level teams the Flames and Mighty Lizards. Hockey programs were run at three different locations; the Real Cariari Shopping Centre, a converted warehouse in Santa Ana as well as the Waterland waterpark in Belen. The program at the Castillo Country Club began in 1997 and has been running, with the exception of 1998, ever since. Some of the highlights over the years have been the visit from the Vancouver Flying Pirates team, winning a Challenge Series tournament in Cuernavaca Mexico and training with the Canadian Womenīs Olympic Team in Calgary. Receiving a grant from the NHL Players Associationīs Goals and Dreams Fund was a big boost for the program as well.