Story Summary
The fourth annual NHL Unites Pride Cup will be held in New York during the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend, bringing together the New York City Pride Hockey Alliance and Albany Pride Hockey Association for games and community events from 4-7 February.
The programme, staged in collaboration with Pride Tape, will include on-ice games between the two associations, a Try Hockey For Free event and a public party. Specific locations, game times, community partners, special guests and opening-party details are still to be announced.
For New York City Pride Hockey Alliance president Steven Greenberg, the event represents a chance to put the experience of its players before a national audience. Albany Pride Hockey Association vice-president Dmitry Rowan said the occasion recognises an association that has worked since 2005 to provide LGBTQ+ athletes and allies with a safe, welcoming place to learn and play the game.
Key Facts
- The fourth NHL Unites Pride Cup will run from 4-7 February 2027 during the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend in New York.
- The New York City Pride Hockey Alliance and Albany Pride Hockey Association will take part in the weekend of games and events.
- The celebration will include games between the two associations, a Try Hockey For Free event and a public party.
- Pride Tape is collaborating on the NHL Unites Pride Cup programme.
- The NHL has yet to announce locations, game times, community partners, special guests and opening-party details.
- The previous NHL Unites Pride Cups were held during the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto, the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off in Boston and in Vancouver in 2026.
- Albany Pride Hockey Association has worked since 2005 to provide LGBTQ+ athletes and allies with opportunities to learn the game and build community.
IHM Discussion
The Cup’s return during All-Star Weekend keeps the event attached to one of the NHL calendar’s largest stages while giving two established regional associations a visible role within it. The format is not limited to the games themselves. By combining competition, a public gathering and a Try Hockey For Free session, the programme creates several entry points for people who already play, those returning to hockey and those considering it for the first time.
Greenberg framed the New York City Pride Hockey Alliance’s participation around players finding a team, community and a place to belong. Rowan described a similar purpose for Albany, whose association has spent more than two decades building a space for LGBTQ+ athletes and allies. Their involvement gives the weekend a direct connection to organisations doing that work beyond the NHL spotlight.
The event also continues a recent travelling tradition. Toronto hosted the first edition during the 2024 All-Star Weekend, followed by Boston around the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and Vancouver in 2026. New York is the next setting for an initiative the League describes as part of its longer-running support for LGBTQ+ hockey organisations and celebrations of authenticity.
Why It Matters
All-Star Weekend offers a wide platform, but the significance here rests on who gets to use it. NYCPHA and APHA will not simply be present around the event; their players will be central to the on-ice programme.
That visibility matters alongside the practical invitation of the Try Hockey For Free event. A first experience of hockey can be less daunting when it sits within a weekend explicitly built around welcome and belonging. The announced mix of games and public events also gives existing community members an opportunity to gather around their own organisations.
Mini Q&A
Who will play in the 2027 NHL Unites Pride Cup?
The New York City Pride Hockey Alliance and Albany Pride Hockey Association will participate in the event.
When is the NHL Unites Pride Cup scheduled to take place?
It is scheduled for 4-7 February 2027 during the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend in New York.
What else is planned besides the games?
The programme will include a Try Hockey For Free event and a public party, with further event details to be announced.
Coach Mark Comment
The Try Hockey For Free session may be the quietest but most lasting part of this weekend. A tournament game celebrates people already on the ice; a first-time session makes room for someone who has not yet decided whether hockey has room for them.
APHA’s history since 2005 gives that invitation some real weight. A new player does not need to arrive with experience or certainty. They need a place where putting skates on for the first time feels like the beginning of belonging, not a test they are expected to pass.
What Comes Next
The NHL will announce the locations, game times, community partners, special guests and details of the opening party at a later date. The NHL Unites Pride Cup is scheduled to take place from 4-7 February 2027.
IHM Final View
The 2027 NHL Unites Pride Cup will bring New York City and Albany’s Pride Hockey associations together at All-Star Weekend, with the event extending beyond a tournament through public and introductory hockey activities. Its value will be measured in the space it gives current players and in the welcome it offers to people taking their first step towards the game.