Fairbanks, Alaska
🏒 Alaska Nanooks

The furthest north college hockey program on the planet, Alaska Nanooks hockey is one of the premier sources of wintertime entertainment in the chilly city of Fairbanks. The Nanooks – named after the Alaskan Inuit word for polar bear – are beloved by fans across the Golden Heart City and play out of the state’s second-largest arena, Carlson Center.

Hockey at the University of Alaska Fairbanks – the system’s flagship campus – has been on the scene for over 100 years, beginning varsity play back in 1925. Since elevating themselves up to Division I in 1985, the Nanooks have been the only program at the school to participate at such a level, with Alaska’s other athletic squads competing in DII.

The Nanooks’ home since 1990, Carlson Center is named for a former mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and seats more than 5,000, a combination of lower-level chairbacks and upper-deck bleachers. The venue is also split down the middle, with “wet” and “dry” sides separated by stanchions and wristband checks that ensure alcohol doesn’t enter the dry side of the building.

The narrow concourse, however, that connects the two sides boasts numerous tables and food stands, selling everything from game-used pucks, memorabilia and merch, to espresso, ice cream, nachos and sausage brats.

With winter temperatures often plunging far below zero, residents of the region look forward to Nanooks games not just to escape the bitter cold, but also because they’re drawn to the distinctly Alaskan atmosphere. Before the puck can be dropped, the arena unites to sing Alaska’s Flag, the state anthem. Leaning into the school’s “nanuq” identity, players also make a dramatic entrance by skating onto the ice through an inflatable tunnel shaped like the iconic creature that roams the tundras of northern Alaska, the mighty polar bear.

After blazing trails through Division II and a smattering of DI conferences, the Nanooks went independent in 2021. They currently compete for the United Collegiate Hockey Cup, a postseason tournament for Division I independent teams. Here, the team found success where they previously had not, clinching the crown in the tourney’s inaugural 2026 run. The win has sparked a glimmer of hope for fans back in Fairbanks, whose wish for the ‘Nooks is a future as vibrant as the aurora that dances across the skies of The Last Frontier.