Portugal national ice hockey team The Portuguese International Hockey Team ( 1996 - 2006 ) is the national men ' s ice hockey team of Portugal . It has been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) since May 13 , 1999 . Portugal is currently not ranked in the IIHF World Ranking and is not actively competing in any IIHF World Championship events . History . Ice hockey was played in Portugal from 1996 until 2006 in the " Palácio do Gelo " shopping center , in Viseu . The ice rink has since closed down , leaving ice hockey and figure skating out in the cold . In 2000 , The national team of Portugal played three games , the only games they ever played . The team they compiled to play was made up of former Portuguese emigrants who played ice hockey in the United States and Canada , as well as former players from traditional roller hockey . The event consisted of three games between the newly created national team of Portugal and the First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Center from Toronto , Ontario , representing Canada . The games were held on June 21 , 22 , and 23 of 2000 at the Palácio do Gelo in Viseu , offering the opportunity to join the international community ' s of ice hockey . Ice hockey is the national sport of Canada and is also played by many members of the Portuguese - Canadian community . The main goals of the tournament between Canada and Portugal were to : The tournament was a joint venture by the Federação Portuguesa de Desportos No Gelo and the Embassy of Canada , namely the Ambassador of Canada , Robert Vanderloo . The event was also sponsored by Banco Comercial Português and Nortel . Not surprisingly , there was an expected gap between the two teams . Canada showed its technical and physical superiority from the first moment of puck drop . In the first two games , the First Portuguese Canadian Cultural Center won 18 – 6 in the first game and 21 – 5 in the second . Pedro Regado was the first ever player to score for Portugal and he accomplished this feat at the 8 : 04 mark of the first period . The third and final game was played with the decision to mix - up the teams , giving Portuguese descendants of the FPCCC to wear the Portuguese jersey and provide a unique opportunity for the Portuguese players to play on the same team with players of high level . At the end of the third match , the score was a close 15 – 11 for FPCCC . Portugal has not played an organized match ever since . Possible Return . It has been rumoured that the national team may possibly return . This is due to the popularity that ice hockey has gaining since NHL it ' s broadcasted on SportTV . There are reports of Portugal ' s plans to build a permanent ice hockey arena in Lisbon . This could potentially open up league possibilities with teams like SL Benfica , Sporting CP , CF Os Belenenses , and possibly Atlético Lisboa , teams that play in the heart of Lisbon ' s entertainment . Finding players shouldn ' t be an issue , since hockey is a growing fad in Portugal , with Portuguese players playing hockey in other countries like in Switzerland , and Portuguese decent players that could play on the international team like Mike Ribeiro and John Tavares ( prestigious players in the National Hockey League . Only time will tell if my dream will come true .