Color of Hockey: Puerto Rico takes 'highest stage' in World Skate Games

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, as part of the NHL’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, he profiles Puerto Rico’s first-ever entry in inline hockey at the 2026 World Skate Games in Asunción, Paraguay, Oct. 2-18.

Puerto Rico made waves in the hockey world when its men’s national team won the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation Development Cup in Andorra and its women’s team took gold at the 2025 IIHF Women’s 3x3 Series in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Now Puerto Rico hockey looks to make another splash by competing in inline hockey for the first time at the 2026 World Skate Games, a tournament in Asunción, Paraguay Oct. 2-18.

A senior men’s team representing the U.S. island territory located in the Caribbean will be among 23 countries competing in inline hockey across senior and junior men’s and women’s divisions.

More than 10,000 athletes and staff from more than 100 countries are expected to participate in World Skate, which features 12 disciplines including hockey, speed skating, skateboarding, downhill and roller derby.

Puerto Rico Ice Hockey Association president Scott Vargas said the goal of going against some of the world’s inline hockey powers in Paraguay is to perform well and show the possibilities to young players on the island who may start on inline with the dream of transitioning to ice someday.

“Our purpose statement has always been to represent Puerto Rico at the highest level on the international stage,” Vargas said. “In order for us to do that, we’ve got to participate in world championships. We haven’t had the opportunity to do that in the IIHF, but this is an opportunity. This is the highest stage that we’ve competed on to date.”

Andrea Fonzari, chairman of the World Skate Inline Hockey Technical Commission, and Eduardo Rojas, an inline hockey technical commission member, welcomed Puerto Rico’s addition to the tournament.

“It means so much because it means we are growing the sport,” Rojas said. “Me, being from a Latin background, I love to see more (Spanish)-speaking countries.  Puerto Rico has the infrastructure and the hockey knowledge of America mixed with the roots and the feel of a Latin country. I personally am very happy, and I'm very interested in seeing how they're going to do.”

Puerto Rico has been an IIHF associate member since 2022. The island hasn’t had a permanent indoor ice facility -- a requirement for full IIHF membership -- since the Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena was damaged and shuttered by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

PRIHA, founded in 2020 with Puerto Rican heritage players from across North America, has sought to grow ice hockey by developing ball and inline hockey on the island of 3.2 million while advocating for the construction of an indoor ice rink.

It opened an indoor dek/inline hockey facility earlier this year and launched Liga Boricua, an inline hockey league. The organization also established “Palos en Manos,” a floor hockey program at three schools on the island. Each school received 20 sticks, 20 balls and two goals.

PRIHA showcased its work in August when it hosted a Fiesta de Hockey celebration in San Juan. The weekend event featured an inline hockey exhibition and the first NHL Street tournament in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Competing at World Skate is PRIHA’s next step. Puerto Rico’s team is comprised of inline players from the island and mainly ice players from the U.S. who have some inline experience like Vargas, a Tampa, Florida, native who played NCAA Division III hockey at Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan, from 2012-15.

“We have guys with inline experience, guys that don’t have inline experience,” Vargas said. “There's no expectation for us only one time, so that's why this first time is so special because I think you have an opportunity to kind of show everyone.”

Some Puerto Rican players got a taste of what to expect at World Skate in June when they skated in the International Inline Hockey Series’ Andes Series in Bogota, Colombia.

“The players were super-fast, very tactical,” Vargas said. “I think it was kind of a good eye-opening experience for the few players that were there that are going to Paraguay.”

Puerto Rico signed an experienced coach in Rich Garvey, who has helped guide Colombia’s ice and inline programs and led Phoenix’s Grand Canyon University to the National Collegiate Roller Hockey championship in 2024.

“Hockey is hockey,” Garvey said. “What will be success for us? Win the games we’re supposed to win, the guys playing above their heads and steal a game, and me stealing a game through some tactical adjustment or gamesmanship in the middle of a game. If we accomplish those three goals, it doesn't matter what our final placement is; it'll be a success in my mind.”

The 2026 World Skate Games has four divisions in the senior men’s inline hockey. Puerto Rico is in Group C with Germany, Uruguay, Chile and Russia.

The United States, which won the senior men’s World Skate Games 2024 inline hockey title in Roccaraso, Italy, are in Group A with France, Namibia, Slovakia and Switzerland.