Every country around the world has a sport that is synonymous with their identity. England has soccer, Americans have football, and hockey will forever be intertwined with Canada. Then there’s Mexico. Sure, soccer has a stranglehold over most of the country, but a new sport is slowly emerging in communities all over Mexico — ice hockey.
The fanbase has snowballed in recent years, something that head coach Diego de la Garma of the Mexico men’s national team has witnessed firsthand.
“It’s been quite a spectacle to see the people of Mexico come out and support their players,” he said.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) currently has the men’s team ranked 42nd and the women’s 25th in the world.
“Where we stand right now, we have a lot of young guys we want to develop. We’re hoping these guys can lead us to something great in the coming years.”
Mexico has never had an ice hockey team represent them at the Olympics, only ever appearing in 10 Winter Games. De la Garma has a plan to get his team over the hump. His plan, or “The Project” which he calls it, involves starting from scratch. “We’ve started integrating guys from the U20 team to give our team a jolt but also to set ourselves up for the future.”
Alonso Tapia Ruiz laces up his skates inside an arena locker room outside Mexico City. He’s in Santiago de Queretaro, preparing for his tryout for the Mexico men’s national team – not knowing he will be a crucial cog in “The Project.”
Fast forward to now, and Tapia Ruiz is skating laps around Clare Drake Arena, living out his dream of playing for the University of Alberta.
A rookie last season, Tapia Ruiz joined the Golden Bears from the Fresno Monsters (USPHL) and was determined to prove himself to the coaches like he did once before in Mexico.
“I’ve always considered myself an underdog, and when I was selected to play for my country, that moment was the culmination of my career,” he said.
Tapia Ruiz is still bitter about how the 2023 IIHF Division II World Championship tournament played out for Mexico.
“Losing every game in the tournament was devastating, especially because it felt like we let down our country, but the fans were really supportive.”
After the disappointing showing at the tournament, Mexico cratered in the rankings, dropping them to a lower tier.
The United Arab Emirates took home the gold medal in the Division II Group B pool, much to the chagrin of Tapia Ruiz and the other players.
The reason for this bitterness stems from the fact that the UAE signed former KHL players to their roster.
Teams in the Division II Group B pool stood no chance against them as the UAE stomped every team, including Mexico, en route to winning it all and moving up a tier in the process.
Through all the disappointment, it has not changed who Tapia Ruiz is.
Tapia Ruiz finds himself on a unique hockey journey. Not many players in U Sports can say that they play collegiate hockey and are also representing another country by competing in global tournaments.
Tapia Ruiz’s hockey resume is as prodigious as it is peculiar, but so is the notion of hockey existing in Mexico. Tapia Ruiz has the opportunity to cement himself as a crucial figure in the evolution of hockey in Mexico, and as an ambassador for his country, he is hopeful his path will inspire younger generations. “Hockey really is for everyone, it doesn’t matter what part of the world you come from.”
Look out, soccer, because hockey is coming for your throne. Mexico has always been a country of passion and patriotism; it has become evident that those emotions aren’t just reserved for soccer.
The NHL has been vocal about making the sport of hockey a global phenomenon. Well, why not take the game closer to the equator?
The fans of Mexico embody everything a team could want. With both the NBA and NFL having games played in Mexico City and having huge successes in attendance, some are left wondering why the NHL hasn’t capitalized. There are only four Hispanic players in the NHL, but by the sounds of what’s happening in Mexico, be prepared for more soon.
By Riley Turgeon
Riley Turgeon is a fourth-year journalism student at MacEwan University. He is an aspiring sports journalist, a casual hockey fan and a diehard football fan.