The sport of ice hockey has seen increasing representation from players of Filipino descent, both in the Philippines and in international leagues like the National Hockey League (NHL). This article explores the history of Filipino hockey players, highlighting achievements and milestones.
The Philippines National Ice Hockey Team
The Philippines national ice hockey team represents the country in international competitions. Governed by the Federation of Ice Hockey League (FIHL), the team has been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) since May 20, 2016.
The Philippines is currently ranked 52nd in the IIHF World Ranking and 18th in the specialized ranking of Asian teams. The team has participated in the World Championship since 2023.
Early Years and International Recognition
Prior to 2008, there were no organized leagues, and an unofficial Philippine national team composed of players from selected clubs participated in regional tournaments. One such unofficial national team, "Manila Pilipinas," competed in the HKAHC Invitational Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament in 2005.
The FIHL became an associate member of the IIHF on 20 May 2016, and by July 2016, the federation also became a member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). The Philippine national team returned to the HKAHC Invitational Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament in 2016, finishing as first runner-up after losing 4-3 in overtime to Mitsubishi Corp. in the Gold Plate Division final.
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First Official Win
The team lost 10-5 in their first official match against Kyrgyzstan. The Philippines secured their first official win as a FIHL member by defeating Qatar with a score of 14-2, followed by an 8-3 triumph over Kuwait, which competed as the Independent Olympic Athletes.
This was then followed by their game against Malaysia which saw the ejection of the Philippine captain, Steven Füglister from the game in the first period. He was given a game misconduct penalty for hitting a Malaysian player in a head while pursuing the puck although the skipper said the infraction was an unintentional accident. The match ended with a 7-7 tie after regulation time after an extra five-minute-period which led to a shootout. The Malaysian organizers decided to suspend Fuglister for the final match against Thailand.
IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia
The Philippines hosted the Top Division of the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia from 3 to 8 April 2018, their first IIHF-sanctioned tournament, at the SM Mall of Asia Ice Skating Rink in Pasay, Metro Manila. The team was mentored by American head coach, Jonathan De Castro.
The national team settled for bronze after tying in points with champions Mongolia and runners-up Thailand. Goal differences of the three teams with matches against the two other teams, Kuwait and Singapore, disregarded was used as tiebreaker to determine the final standing.
The national team improved its best finish in the tournament in the following edition of the tournament in 2019 hosted in Malaysia.
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Future Goals
The Philippines' ice hockey governing body, the Federation of Ice Hockey League, from 2017, projects the national team's first participation in the IIHF World Championships within three to five years. They have applied to participate in the inaugural Division IV of the World Championships for the 2020 edition.
However the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Division IV tournament would also get cancelled. They would finally make their World Championship debut by taking part in the 2023 Division IV tournament in Mongolia.
PH Men's National Ice Hockey, pinagharian ang 2023 IIHF World Championships
Filipino-American Players in the NHL
Filipino-American players have also been making their mark in the NHL. Here are some notable players:
- Jason Robertson: Named to the top All-Rookie Team in the 2020-21 season and came in second for the coveted Calder Memorial Trophy. He is also the first person in the NHL to record a hat trick in two consecutive games.
- Nicholas Richardson: In 2020, Nicholas became the youngest person in the NHL to play in the qualifiers and the postseason since 1996. He even scored his first goal in the qualifiers that same year in 2020.
- Matt Dumba: Dumba is Filipino on his mother’s side and Romanian and German on his father’s side.
Two Filipino American brothers will be advancing Fil Am representation on the ice rink during the upcoming National Hockey League playoffs, reported the Inquirer. Nicholas Richardson and the Toronto Maple Leafs qualified for the playoffs when their closest three competitors all lost on Thursday. A day earlier, older brother Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars became the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff spot.
Jason tallied an impressive 77 points in 76 regular season games while Nicholas totaled an impressive 24 points in just 51 regular season games.
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It was just last season that two Filipino competed against each other in the playoffs, reports Phil Star. Jason Robertson clashed with Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild. The Stars won the series 4-2.
Key Players and Teams
Here are some of the key players for the Philippines Men's National Ice Hockey Team:
| Position | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Jaiden Mackale Roxas | Team Philippines |
| GK | Paolo Spafford | Team Philippines |
| D | Manvil Billiones | Team Philippines |
| D | Carlo Emmanuel de Guzman | Team Philippines |
| D | Francois Gautier | Team Philippines |
| FW | Steven Fuglister | Team Philippines |
The Robertson are Filipino on their mother’s side and Scottish on their father’s side.