'Intense, high-energy' ice hockey soars in popularity among students in city

A year ago, Lizzie had never played ice hockey.

- by Jennifer Cartwright

For Lizzie, Harrison, and Niall, the team aspect is the greatest part of the sport

The 20-year-old, who is studying history at the University of Leeds, decided to join the university's ice hockey society after her cousin assured her it would be beginner-friendly.Though her previous experience on ice was only from ice skating at Christmastime, she quickly became hooked on the sport.

Lizzie told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "It was a sport that I always really thought was cool when I was younger but I never thought I could play.

"It wasn't until I went to university that it felt like it was something that was accessible to me. Everyone was so welcoming, friendly and supportive.

"There's no pressure - you're all just there to enjoy yourself and improve so it's a really nice way to participate in a team sport."

Ice hockey interest is surging in the UK with a record-breaking number of spectators at Elite Ice Hockey League in the 2024-2025 season.

The Leeds University Ice Hockey Society has experienced this popularity rise too, with a 66 per cent growth in membership in just two years.

Now, as ice hockey is receiving even more attention thanks to both the Winter Olympics and the Prime Video ice hockey drama Heated Rivalry, it's the sport that more people want to watch and more people want to play.