Best hockey player from each state

Jan 26, 2014; New York City, NY, USA; NHL former player Jeremy Roenick skates with youngsters on a miniature rink before the Stadium Series hockey game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /

Louisiana – Tucker Alspaugh

Very few states have lower participation in hockey than Louisiana. However, things are looking up because there’s a group of young players emerging. One of them is Tucker Alspaugh, a defenseman who plays in the NA3HL.

Born in Lafayette, he moved up north to pursue his junior career. After playing for the Providence Capitals (both their U16 and regular team), Alspaugh has returned home. He currently plays for the Louisiana Drillers of the NA3HL, a premier junior league. Alspaugh hopes to grab the attention of an NCAA team.

Of all of the 50 states, only Mississippi and have Hawaii have fewer registered players than Louisiana. However, there is some optimism for the future. 562 players are registered for the 2015-16 season, which is a significant increase from 433 in 2014-15.

The success of the Drillers is starting to get some interest towards the ice. Now with some Louisiana natives playing for them, maybe that’s what helps the state embrace hockey. LSU has a team, though they play in the ACHA instead of the NCAA. It can take some time for ice sports to grow on southern states. This is understandable because they feature warm weather pretty much all year.

However, the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars suggest there’s a lot of hope for hockey in all states.

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