“Hockey Capital of the South”, How the Sport is Growing in Huntsville
Published By Feb. 5, 2026 at 9:55 PM EST on WAAF
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Hockey in the South is bigger than you may think.
“The community, it’s small, but it’s very big,” TPH Director and Head of Hockey Martin Kubaliak said. “Our Youth House League just hit 500 kids, which is fantastic.”
With a professional hockey team, the Huntsville Havoc, people from all ages can experience hockey at the next level.
“When I moved to Huntsville, I saw a couple of Huntsville Havoc games,” local hockey player Ely Brown said. “I went to a couple of stick and pucks, so then I decided to start playing.”
“I really liked them when I first played in hockey,” local hockey player Mason Kubaliak said.
The Havoc show these younger athletes, that their dreams of playing hockey at a higher level is attainable.
“It inspires me to push myself even harder every day so one day I can go pro,” Brown said.
“I think hockey is fun,” local hockey player Brantley Slayton said. “Once you start, your big dream is maybe to go to college or get in the NHL.”
Huntsville native and Havoc player, Josh Kestner is proof to these athletes that you can make it to the pros out of Huntsville.
Kestner grew up in Huntsville and played college hockey at UAH.
Helping those kids get there, is TPH, Total Package Hockey Academy. It’s an educational and athletic training environment.
TPH is similar to what Kubaliak experienced growing up in Slovakia. Kubaliak played all over the world, starting at sixteen years old. He played two stints in Huntsville with the Havoc, and decided North Alabama was where he wanted to retire.
About TPH Academy:
TPH Academy is an academy-style, focused environment where dedicated student-athletes study, train, and play at their highest potential. TPH Academy’s core purpose is to lead the world in the holistic development of student-athletes, advancing – in and beyond the game – the next generation of impact players. For more information about TPH Academy, please visit tphacademy.com and check out the 2024-2025 TPH Academy Impact Report.
