Young hockey players from “Ararat” shine in debut tournament in Nashville

In the last days of June 2025, the ice arena in Nashville, Tennessee, hosted another series of games in the prestigious Music City Cup tournament. For the first time in history, among the participants was the Ararat Hockey Club — a team uniting young Armenian hockey players from across North America, ArmenianWeekly reports.

The idea of creating the team came from Greg Dekirmenjian from Dallas, who, since October 2024, had been working diligently to find talented players aged 11–12. Through calls to Armenian communities and churches in various cities across the United States and Canada, he succeeded in assembling a dream team. The head coach, Andy Gevorgyan from Los Angeles, took on both the training of the players and assisting in their recruitment.

Ararat’s debut tournament took place from June 27 to 29 in Nashville. For most players, this was their first time playing together, but the boys quickly found common ground and took to the ice with a fighting spirit, following the example of their ancestors — determined to overcome any challenge.

Armenian families from Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, Calgary, and Toronto came to Nashville to support their children. The atmosphere of the tournament turned into a true celebration: Armenian music played by the pool, in the arena, and at the hotel, while warm friendships formed between the families — bonds that participants believe will last for many years.