Two teams from the Israel Elite Hockey League (IEHL) will compete in the 2026 IEHL USA Challenge Cup at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. The game marks the league’s return to the New York metropolitan area for its second annual Israeli professional hockey matchup in North America.
HC Tel Aviv will face the Jerusalem Capitals in a matchup featuring players from Israel and abroad, including athletes from North America and Europe competing at a professional level. The event is part of the IEHL’s efforts to expand its international presence and engage audiences outside of Israel.
The game will take place during Jewish American Heritage Month, observed each May in the United States, and comes as Jewish communities seek visible expressions of identity and connection in public life.
UBS Arena, home to the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders, will be the venue for the game. The event brings Jewish identity into a large-scale professional sports setting.
During a time of heightened global attention on Israel and rising antisemitism in communities worldwide, the matchup highlights elite athletes representing the country on the international stage.
The IEHL, established in 2021, operates as Israel’s professional ice hockey league. While ice hockey remains a niche sport in Israel, the league has sought to grow participation and exposure through international showcases and partnerships.
The USA Challenge Cup builds on last year’s inaugural game at UBS Arena, which drew approximately 8,500 attendees and marked a large-scale U.S. showcase of Israeli professional hockey.
Sid Rosenberg, host of “Sid & Friends in the Morning” on WABC radio, is scheduled to perform the ceremonial puck drop. Kosha Dillz, an American Jewish rapper known for music focused on Jewish identity and culture, will serve as the event’s MC.
Featured guest and IEHL ambassador Ari Ackerman, a part-owner of the Miami Marlins and an advocate for Jewish causes, will participate in the program.
The May 17 game was originally scheduled earlier in the year and later rescheduled. Purchase tickets here.
