Yokohama Grits

Yokohama Grits
City	Yokohama, Kanagawa
League	Asia League Ice Hockey
Founded	2 May 2019;6 years ago (2 May 2019) [1]
Home arena	Kosé Shin-Yokohama Skate Center
Colours	Blue, black, white
Owner(s)	Akihito Usui
Head coach	Yuji Iwamoto
Website	grits-sport.com

The Yokohama Grits (Japanese : 横浜グリッツ, romanized: Yokohama gurittsu) are a professional ice hockey team based in Yokohama, Japan. They are a members of Asia League Ice Hockey and play their home games at the Kosé Shin-Yokohama Skate Center.

The team's mascot is a stylized beluga whale named Guluga (Japanese : グルーガ). ^[2] They also have a dedicated cheerleading squad named GRITS TOPAZ. ^[3]

History

The Yokohama Grits were founded on 2 May 2019 by Grits Sports Innovators Corporation, an organisation led by Akihito Usui. ^[4] The Grits are the first ice hockey team based in the Greater Tokyo Area since the Seibu Prince Rabbits folded in 2009. ^[1] On 2 June 2020 the team was announced as the eighth member of Asia League Ice Hockey, ^[5] with former NHL player Mike Kennedy serving as the head coach. ^[1] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia, the league cancelled its planned 2020–21 season, and a three-country Asia League tournament was scheduled instead. ^[6] In October of the same year, the Grits took part in the Asia League Japan Cup. ^[7]

References

1. "「横浜GRITS」アジアリーグ加盟正式決定！横浜市初のプロアイスホッケーチーム誕生 東京圏12季ぶり" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
2. "グルーガ GULUGA" (in Japanese). Yokohama Grits. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
3. "GRITS TOPAZ メンバー紹介" (in Japanese). Yokohama Grits. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
4. "Yokohama gets gritty". IIHF. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
5. "About nominating new teams". ALIH. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
6. "Announcement: 2020–2021 Season (UPDATED)". ALIH. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
7. "Announcement: Pre-Season Matches". ALIH. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.

External links

• Yokohama Grits (in Japanese)