From Honolulu to Danbury: Inside the Flyin Hawaiians unique path to hockey history

How about a nice Hawaiian punch?That’s precisely what Zach Pamaylaon is dishing out to a towering opponent early in the secondperiod of a hard-fought Dec.2024 game between bitter rivals inside Connecticut’s Danbury Arena.In his third season playing for the Danbury Hat Tricks of the entry-level Federal ProspectsHockey League (FPHL), the 28-year-old Pamaylaon is making history as the first male from theState of Hawaii to play professional hockey. In the fight – after which he earns an additional penalty for being the instigator – “ZP,” listedgenerously at 5-foot-9, lands several clean shots on a 6’4″ member of the Binghamton Black Bearswhile withstanding some returned fire.While he doesn’t quite do enough to win the fight cleanly, the 160-pound Pamaylaon doesn’t fall first, and that’s enough to ignite Danbury’s infamously passionate fans.

Pamaylaon strides toward the penalty box to crashing applause from the crowd of 2,500.“We got tangled up, and I dropped my gloves when he asked me if I wanted to fight,” saysPamaylaon, a native of Aiea in the Greater Honolulu area.“If I’m in a position to generate aspark for my team, even though I don’t want to fight someone twice my size, I’m going to do it.” Learning the game in a state where there is just one ice hockey rink, Pamaylaon’s work ethic andstrong skating abilities caught the eye of mainland scouts.

Since then, he’s relied on hard workand faith to carve out a career on the “low pro” levels.  “My parents told me that because I come from such a small state, I have to make sure torepresent Hawaii well,” Pamaylaon says.“I always have that motivation.”A few years before Pamaylaon was born, his father, Aaron, who, his son says, “played everysport,” came across a group playing roller hockey and instantly wanted to try the game.

WhenZach arrived in 1996, his dad was playing and coaching at the Ice Palace Hawaii in Halawa, thestate’s lone ice-skating arena. “I...