Reviewed by: Caleb Turrentine
Pelham becomes Hockey Town Alabama with new NHL Street Courts
Reading time: 2 minutes
Let’s forgo all the formality. We declare Pelham — “Hockey Town Alabama.”
Why?
The Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena is the home ice for both the Birmingham Bulls and the University of Alabama Hockey team.
And now, thanks to Pelham Park and Recreation and the City Council, by this summer the city will have three new NHL Street Courts built.
What is NHL Street Program
Designed to introduce participants to the fundamentals of the sport, Pelham’s NHL Street program established an eight-week summer league in 2024.
That program was so successful it was honored by the Alabama Recreation and Park Association as the most innovative recreation initiative in the state.
The secret to the new program’s success was the partnership between Pelham and the Birmingham Bulls. The kids got to learn from the pros, including:
- Proper stick handling
- Puck control
- Game strategies
Pelham is ALL IN
Entering the NHL Street program’s second year, the city has committed to build courts and grow the sport.
Pelham Parks & Recreation Director Brian Cooper described how the new courts will provide “street hockey” opportunities to the community and other sports.
“As one of the first cities to embrace the NHL Street Hockey program, we are excited to also bring this new amenity to our community. As the sport grows, we will be positioned well to host other towns and state tournaments.
We also plan to implement some small sided (3v3, 4v4) youth and adult soccer programs shortly after we open the court. In the future, we hope to offer additional programs such as roller hockey. For now, we will have a few in-house programs, offer rentals, and have set hours for pick-up soccer, etc.”
The new courts are located at the City Park near the Recreation Center.
How to join the league
Online Registration for the NHL Street Summer League is now open and will close on June 11, 2025. Participants must be between the ages of 6-12 on August 31, 2025.
Practices and games will be played in-house at Pelham Parks & Recreation during the week.
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