As the scent of roasted turkey fills the air and pumpkin pies cool on windowsills, it’s clear: Thanksgiving has arrived. For most, this time of year is about food, family, and football—but for those of us who live and breathe hockey, it’s also about frosty rinks, fresh tape jobs, and finding a little ice time between gravy boats and goal horns.

Let’s be honest—hockey isn’t exactly the sport that screams “Thanksgiving tradition!” But just because it’s not as closely tied to the holiday as football doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its rightful place at the table. With the start of holiday tournaments, mid-season grinds, and more teams hitting the ice across the country, this season brings a perfect mix of hockey and holiday spirit.

So let’s take a skate through everything that makes hockey a hidden gem of Thanksgiving, with a few stick taps to the folks who make the game even more special.

🏒 The Pre-Dinner Pickup Game

Before the bird hits the oven, many hockey families make their way to the local rink. Even if it’s not cold enough outside for outdoor rinks just yet, that doesn’t stop diehards from lacing up for a quick skate before dinner.

It’s not an official game. There’s no scoreboard, and there are probably more laughs than goals—but that’s the point. Someone forgets their elbow pads, someone else rocks gym shorts over shin guards like it’s 2003, and someone definitely brings coffee onto the bench.

It’s an unspoken tradition: early ice, early chirps, and early bonding before the real holiday chaos kicks in. It’s how hockey players say “I’m thankful for this crew”—by tying up the skates and just sending it, full tilt, before dinner hits the table.

🍂 Tournaments, Travel, and Turkey in the Hotel Lobby

If you’re part of the youth hockey world, there’s a good chance you’re not home for Thanksgiving. You’re probably in a hotel in Buffalo, Detroit, or some hockey hotbed, running through the lobby in socks and carrying a stick longer than you are tall.

Thanksgiving tournaments are a rite of passage. Sure, it might mean turkey out of a microwave or cranberry sauce in a Styrofoam cup, but ask any hockey kid what they’d rather be doing—eating at home or chasing hardware with their squad—and the answer’s always the same: “Let’s drop the puck.”

These weekends are legendary. Families bond, teammates become lifelong friends, and somehow every parent becomes a scout. (“I think #17 on the other team is getting looks from college… he’s 13, Dave.”)

🥅 Hockey and the Holiday Hustle

Thanksgiving also signals the true start of hockey’s busiest stretch—especially in the youth and amateur levels. Schedules pile up, holiday tourneys fill the calendar, and the holiday break is just around the corner. It’s a time of the year that tests your love for the game and your ability to carry a duffle bag in one hand and a pumpkin pie in the other.

But that’s part of the magic. Even without snow piling up outside or frozen lakes, the rinks are buzzing. There’s no better vibe than walking into the arena with your gear slung over your shoulder, the Zamboni finishing its laps, and your teammates already chirping each other about who forgot their socks.

This is also prime time for gear upgrades. The tape’s getting low, the laces are fraying, and that old twig you’ve been using since preseason? It’s starting to feel more like a twig than a hockey stick.

🏒 Stick Taps & Stuffing

Thanksgiving is also about gratitude—and in hockey, we’ve got a lot to be thankful for.

We’re thankful for the teammate who always volunteers to take the first shift and block the first shot.

We’re thankful for the parents, coaches, and volunteers who tie skates, clean jerseys, and drive hundreds of miles for early-morning games.

We’re thankful for refs, yes, even when they miss an obvious offside, because the game doesn’t go on without them.

We’re thankful for that perfect saucer pass, a clean breakout, and tape-to-tape feeds that make you look like a pro.

We’re thankful for celly-worthy goals, well-earned wins, and even the losses that make us better.

And let’s be honest—we’re thankful for a good tape job, reliable locker room heaters, and sticks that actually hold up through a full season (wink, wink 😉).

🙏 A Message of Thanks

All Black Hockey Sticks is beyond grateful to be part of your hockey journey. From beer leaguers to bantams, weekend warriors to rising stars—we’ve seen our sticks in the hands of players who love the game for the same reason we do: because hockey is home.

Thank you for choosing us. Thank you for trusting us to be part of your gear bag. And thank you for supporting a brand built by hockey players, for hockey players.

This Thanksgiving, we raise our sticks to you—our customers, readers, and fellow puckheads. Here’s to more wins, more laughs, and more big moments chasing the game we love.

From the ABHS family to yours:

Happy Thanksgiving. Stay warm, stay sharp, and never miss a chance to rip one bar down.

#ThankfulForHockey #ABHS #HockeyLife #StickWithTheBest #PuckDropAndPassTheGravy