Chelsea Challenge 2026

The Chelsea Challenge is an adult LGBTQ and LGBTQ-friendly ice hockey tournament hosted by the New York City Pride Hockey Alliance. The tournament welcomes players from everywhere and attracts players from across the US, Canada and Europe.

Dates & Location

Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25, 2026

All games at Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers

Festivities begin Friday night with our welcome party. Round-robin games will take place Saturday morning through Sunday mid-day. Single-elimination playoff games will be Sunday afternoon followed by the Tournament Banquet on Sunday night for all players and registered guests. Division Championships will be held Monday morning with a rink-side champagne brunch. Games are anticipated to be scheduled between 8:30 AM and 8:30 PM and Monday games will likely end by 2:30 PM. Other social events will be planned before and after games and will be announced.

Pricing

$250 – Early Registration by April 1st at 9:00 AM EDT
$275 – Regular Registration between April 1 at 9:01 AM EDT and May 1 at 9:00 AM EDT
$300 – Late Registration after May 1 at 9:01 AM EDT
$75 – Guest Entry to Tournament Banquet before May 22 at 11:59 PM EDT ($85 at check-in)

Player registration includes at least FOUR round-robin games and potential for two more (playoff and championship) games, tournament jersey and t-shirt, entry into all social events including Tournament Banquet, and gift bag.

Pricing above will carry an additional 3% + $1.00 SportsEngine transaction fee.

Full refunds, excluding SportsEngine transaction fees, will be granted during early and regular registration periods as long as we are able to find a player to fill the spot. We may consider exceptions for injuries and unforeseen circumstances.

Divisions

Division D (Drop-In): This division is drop-in only.* Beginner to Intermediate level players are welcome in this division. The planning committee will form balanced teams based on your self-evaluation to keep things fun and competitive.
Division C (Drop-In): This division is drop-in only.* Intermediate to Advanced level players are welcome in this division. The planning committee will form balanced teams based on your self-evaluation to keep things fun and competitive.
Division B (Advanced Team): This division allows organized teams only. A team is formed when you have 10 registered skaters (not including goalie). Groups that do not hit this number may be dispersed to other teams. A team is considered full with 14 skaters and a goalie (though you may roster more). Teams that do not reach 14 skaters and a goalie may be assigned drop-ins.

*Note that an exception has been made for the Trans Wave team.

Volunteers

Chelsea Challenge is organized by a team of volunteers of the NYCPHA, but we can always use extra hands to help run the tournament. Tasks include organizing gift bags and jerseys, checking-in players, scorekeeping, restocking drink bins and bananas, setting up the championship brunch, and much more. If you’re interested in helping out, please fill out any available spots on this form or email cc@nycpha.org if you have any questions or specific things you want to help out with!

Guests

Guest registration is required for non-players who wish to attend our Tournament Banquet on Sunday night. The guest fee is $75 if purchased in advance. There may be limited availability to purchase at tournament check-in for $85. Banquet entry is included for all players participating in the tournament.