Silver Stick Youth Regional Brings Travel Teams to the Las Vegas Ice Center Over Thanksgiving

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

The Las Vegas Ice Center has posted the details for its 2026 Silver Stick Las Vegas Regional. The event is sanctioned by USA Hockey, with sanction number 26.27-NV-06. It runs over four days, Nov. 26 to 29, which covers Thanksgiving Day and the long holiday weekend.

There are four divisions. All are at the AA level, which is a competitive travel level in youth hockey.

12UAA: 5 teams listed
14UAA: 9 teams listed
16UAA: 7 teams listed
18UAA/HS Varsity: 6 teams listed

Every team is guaranteed at least four games. The champion in each division gets a championship banner, individual player awards and an invitation to the Silver Stick finals. The tournament page does not say where the finals will be held, so we are not going to guess.

The registration deadline was Oct. 23, 2026. Teams had two ways to enter. The "Stay to Play" option cost $2,195 per team. Teams that picked it had to book at least 10 hotel rooms per night through the tournament's partner hotels. The "Team Choice" option cost $2,745 per team, and those teams could stay anywhere they liked. Teams that chose Stay to Play but did not meet the room minimum were moved to Team Choice. A $500 deposit was due with each application.

The two partner hotels for Stay to Play were the Suncoast Hotel and Casino and the New York New York Hotel and Casino. The Suncoast's room block deadline was Oct. 25, and New York New York's was Nov. 2.

The rink also listed extras for teams: free warm-up pucks, real-time scoring and stats, an on-site pro shop, a certified athletic trainer, and LiveBarn video streaming of games.

For families new to youth hockey, the age labels can be confusing. The number tells you the age group. A 12U team is for players 12 and under, 14U is for players 14 and under, and so on. The letters tell you the level of play. AA is a competitive travel level, a step below AAA, which is the top tier of youth travel hockey. So a 14UAA team is a group of strong 13- and 14-year-old players who travel to compete against similar teams. The 18UAA/HS Varsity division includes the oldest youth players and high school varsity teams.

Pair of vintage ice skates on display, a nod to the long tradition behind the 22nd annual Silver Stick Las Vegas Regional

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

First, the practical part. The Las Vegas Ice Center sits on West Flamingo Road in Spring Valley, in the 89147 ZIP code. With 27 teams playing over four days, the rink will be busy from morning to night. If you live nearby or drive Flamingo over the holiday weekend, plan for more traffic and a crowded parking lot around the rink.

Second, local hockey families. Some of the teams in the field may be from Las Vegas. For local players, a home-ice tournament is a big deal. No flights, no hotel, and a chance to play top teams in front of family and friends. For parents, it means Thanksgiving dinner at home instead of in a hotel restaurant in another state.

Third, visitors. Travel hockey teams bring players, parents, siblings and coaches. The Stay to Play setup alone requires each participating team to book at least 10 hotel rooms a night. Those families eat at local restaurants, shop at local stores and fill up at local gas stations. A holiday weekend tournament puts real money into the local economy, including businesses in Spring Valley near the rink.

Fourth, the sport itself. Las Vegas did not have much of a youth hockey scene not that long ago. Now it hosts a nationally recognized Silver Stick Regional for the 22nd year. That says something about how far the sport has come here. It also gives local kids a goal. A young player in a learn-to-play program today can watch these older teams and picture themselves in a Silver Stick game one day.

And for anyone who loves hockey, it is simply a fun way to spend part of a holiday weekend. Youth hockey at this level is fast and competitive. These are some of the best young players from their regions.

Young players playing ice hockey, the kind of youth travel hockey on display at the Silver Stick Las Vegas Regional over Thanksgiving

Background and History

Silver Stick is one of the best-known names in youth hockey tournaments. Regional tournaments are held in many places, and division winners earn a spot in the finals. That is what makes a Silver Stick Regional different from a regular weekend tournament. Winning a division is not the end of the road. It is a ticket to the next level of competition.

For many young players, a Silver Stick weekend is a highlight of the season. The tournaments are known for good organization and strong competition. Teams often plan their whole fall around a regional, practicing for weeks to be ready. For older players in the 16U and 18U divisions, a strong showing can also help them get noticed as they think about junior hockey or college hockey.

Thanksgiving tournaments are a tradition in youth hockey across the country. Schools are closed, many parents have time off, and families can turn a holiday into a hockey trip. Las Vegas is a natural fit. It is easy to reach by plane or car from much of the West, it has plenty of hotel rooms, and it offers things for siblings and grandparents to do between games.

The Las Vegas Regional has been around for a long time. This year's event is the 22nd annual. The Las Vegas Ice Center describes it as a nationally recognized Silver Stick Regional and says its tournaments draw top programs from across the country.

The rink itself is a big part of the youth hockey scene in the valley. Besides tournaments like this one, the Las Vegas Ice Center runs house leagues, learn-to-play programs and other events. We covered its fall house league signup in Las Vegas Ice Center Fall House League Signup. It also hosts other big tournaments during the year, like the one we wrote about in Las Vegas Desert Cup Youth Hockey.

The growth of youth hockey here is not just a feeling. Research from UNLV found that youth hockey in Las Vegas grew fivefold over a 10-year period, as we covered in UNLV: Vegas Sports Jobs Doubled, Youth Hockey Boom. Much of that growth followed the arrival of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. More kids playing means more teams, more tournaments and more families who plan their weekends around the rink.

Spring Valley has become a hub for that growth. The Las Vegas Ice Center on West Flamingo Road is close to many neighborhoods in the southwest part of the valley, and it is an easy drive from Summerlin and the central valley too. That central location is part of what makes it a natural home for a tournament that draws teams from out of state. Visiting families can reach the rink from the Strip or from Summerlin hotels in a reasonable drive.

Big tournaments also help local programs. They bring outside competition to town, which helps local players measure themselves against teams from other regions. They also help rinks fill ice time over holidays, which supports the house leagues and learn-to-play programs that keep the sport growing.

What Happens Next

The registration deadline has passed, so the field is mostly set. Teams should watch for their game schedules from the tournament organizers ahead of Nov. 26. With a four-game minimum, most teams will play at least once a day across the four days, with playoff and championship games likely toward the end of the weekend. The exact schedule format was not listed on the page we reviewed.

If you want to watch, the tournament page did not list spectator details like admission prices, seating or parking. Those details are not verified. The best move is to call the Las Vegas Ice Center at (702) 320-7777 or email info@lasvegasice.com before you go. For tournament-specific questions, the rink lists tournaments@lasvegasice.com.

If you cannot make it in person, check LiveBarn. The rink says games will stream there, which is a great option for grandparents and relatives who cannot travel. After the event, look for results and division champions on the tournament site, lasvegashockeytournaments.com.

One more thing to keep in mind. Thanksgiving weekend is a busy travel time across the valley, with extra traffic around the airport, the Strip and big shopping centers. Visiting families staying at the Suncoast in Summerlin or at New York New York on the Strip will be driving across town to the rink on Flamingo Road. Locals who drive that stretch should expect more cars than usual, especially around game times in the morning and early evening.

Ryan's Take

As a youth hockey coach and a hockey dad, I love seeing events like this in our backyard. Tournaments like Silver Stick show how much the hockey community in Las Vegas has grown. When I help families move here, more and more of them ask about rinks before they ask about anything else. Where are the rinks? How far is the drive? Which neighborhoods are close to practice? Those are real questions, and they matter. Hockey families spend a lot of hours in the car. Early practices, late games and weekend tournaments add up fast. A home 10 minutes from the rink instead of 35 minutes can give a family back several hours every week. Spring Valley and the southwest valley are popular with hockey families for exactly this reason. The Las Vegas Ice Center is right there on Flamingo Road.

I also think about the visiting families. Thanksgiving in Las Vegas is a pretty great place for a hockey tournament. Many of these families will see the valley for the first time while their kids are playing. Some of them might like what they see. Plenty of people move here after visiting for a tournament, a convention or a vacation, and that is part of how this city keeps growing.

What You Can Do

If your family has a player in one of these age groups, stop by and watch a few games. It is a great way for younger players to see what the next level looks like. Bring a warm jacket and a seat cushion, since rinks stay cold no matter what the weather is outside.

If your child is just getting started, use this weekend as a spark. Ask the Las Vegas Ice Center about learn-to-play and house league programs. Most kids start in programs like those before moving up to travel hockey. You do not need to buy every piece of gear on day one, so ask what the rink offers for beginners.

If you have a player already on a travel team, think about how your family might use a weekend like this in the future. Some local teams play in home tournaments like this one to cut down on travel costs. Others travel to tournaments in other states. Talking with your coach about the season's tournament plan early can help you budget and plan holidays.

And if you are a neighbor who does not follow hockey at all, consider stopping in anyway. Youth hockey is fast and fun to watch, and the energy at a tournament is contagious. You might find a new favorite way to spend a cold-ish Las Vegas afternoon.

If you live near the rink, plan your holiday errands around the busy times. Thanksgiving week already means extra traffic at stores. Add a full hockey tournament, and the Flamingo Road area will be busier than usual.

And if being close to a rink is high on your family's wish list, I would be glad to help. Spring Valley, Summerlin, Henderson and other parts of the valley all have rinks nearby. I can help you compare neighborhoods, drive times and home prices so you find a place that fits your family and your hockey schedule.

Young kids in team sports jerseys, the next generation of Las Vegas players who may one day skate in a Silver Stick Regional

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. You can also email ryan@rosehomeslv.com or visit rosehomeslv.com. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921.