East Texas Hockey

Mission Statement

To foster community connection and provide accessible opportunities for individuals of all ages and abilities in East Texas to discover and enjoy the sport of hockey, by removing financial barriers and promoting a welcoming and inclusive environment.

coach's corner

Justin Duplantis

Justin is the Founder of East Texas Hockey and is a dedicated and versatile hockey player. His international hockey journey has allowed him to draw experience from competitive leagues overseas and in North America.

Duplantis began his professional tenure during the 2021–2022 season in the IEHL, as both a goaltender and defenseman. In the 2024–2025 season he joined the Kalkaska Battlers in the APHL, as a defenseman. It was here that Duplantis demonstrated his offensive upside, recording 3 assists in just 4 games and solidifying his reputation as a gifted passer and contributor with a 0.75 points-per-game pace.

For the 2025-2026 season, he pulled the pads out once again and sign as a goaltender for the Thousand Island Raiders, out of upstate New York.

Bryan Giguere

Bryan brings a rich, lifelong history in hockey to the Winnsboro program, which he has supported since its inauguration in November 2022. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Bryan first laced up skates at age six, culminating in a provincial championship win in 1991—a highlight of his early career.

After moving to Dallas in 1993, he competed in travel hockey throughout high school before playing for the inaugural University of North Texas team. The UNT Eagles qualified for the Division III NCAA tournament in 2002.

Coach Giguere leverages this deep playing background to coach athletes ranging from true beginners to advanced Rink Rats, focusing on the essential fundamentals of skating and hockey drills. His competitive spirit remains strong, as he continues to play in adult tournaments, notably helping lead the East Texas team to a tournament victory in Abilene. His dedication to developing players and his commitment to the Winnsboro community make him a valued member of the coaching staff.

Hunter Burkett

Hunter has been deeply involved in the sport of hockey since childhood, having competed in travel inline in East Texas. His deep-rooted passion is shared by his family, as he is the proud father of two children who both compete nationally.

This commitment to player excellence is channeled into his coaching. Hunter’s philosophy is centered on comprehensive player development, emphasizing skill improvement, confidence building, and character growth. He prioritizes creating a supportive and fun atmosphere focused on the core values of teamwork and sportsmanship.

Upcoming events & Tournaments

Echo - Houston, TX
January 24-25, 2026

Hockey for Hearts - Kyle, TX
February 21-22, 2026

East Texas Hockey March Madness - Winnsboro, TX
March 8, 2026

News

podcasts

Tournament results

2025

Abilene Bomber Ironman
Abilene, TX

NARCh Qualifiers
Bend, OR

Torhs
National Finals
St Louis, MO

Crawford Duplantis competed in the 8u division for Farm Tough, out of Wisconsin. He brought home second place hardware for East Texas Hockey!

Cason Clark and Crawford played in the 10u division with the Roadrunners out of New York and ended getting knocked out in the quarter finals by the #3 seed.

Echo
Houston, TX

~Division Awards~

Top Goal Scorer – Raygan Burkett

Top Assists – Crawford Duplantis

Top Goaltender – Preston Lorenzoni-Matheidas

Turkey Shootout
Arlington, TX

The Result: A perfect 5-0 undefeated run and the tournament championship trophy!

The Stats: They absolutely dominated, outscoring their opponents by a massive 39 to 13.

The Future: Showing immense promise, four (4) of the ten players on the championship roster were 8U players, proving that our youngest skaters are ready to compete at the highest level.!

2024

The Stanley Ironman
Denton, TX

NARCh Qualifiers
Bend, OR

community events

2025

ETBU Practice

Building skills and connections! Two of our dedicated East Texas Hockey players, Eli and Obi Rauker, had an incredible opportunity to practice alongside the talented athletes from the ETBU (East Texas Baptist University) D2 and D3 hockey programs!

This is invaluable experience, allowing our players to train at a collegiate level and build relationships with the programs right here in East Texas. Huge thanks to ETBU for the opportunity!

Hockey Day in Houston

We hit the road for Hockey Day in Houston! Huge shout-out to our amazing players and families who made the long drive from East Texas to be part of the celebration.

It was awesome setting up our booth and connecting with the massive hockey community down in Houston! Supporting the growth of the game across our whole state is what East Texas Hockey is all about!

Yard Sale

What a turnout! A huge thank you to everyone who supported the East Texas Hockey Annual Community Yard Sale!

We loved seeing the community come out to shop, donate, and chat hockey with us. Your enthusiasm and generosity were incredible! Every single purchase made helps fund our players, keep our equipment up-to-date, and grow the game right here in East Texas.

Thanks again for making this year’s sale a massive success! See you on the rink!

Sulphur Springs Celebration Market

What an incredible day connecting with the community at the Sulphur Springs Celebration Market!

Amidst the awesome vendors and lively music, the East Texas Hockey booth was a non-stop party! Our hockey shooting gallery was a HUGE hit with the kids, proving that East Texas is ready for the fastest game on earth.

We loved seeing all the smiles and future players taking their best shot! Thanks to Sulphur Springs for the warm welcome. Let’s keep growing the game!

ETX Fundraiser

What a smash hit! Check out the highlights from the First Annual East Texas Hockey Fundraiser in Quitman, TX!

We were overwhelmed by the incredible community support, featuring:

A stunning Classic Car Show
Over 50 amazing vendors
Delicious food trucks
An exciting Silent Auction

Every vehicle, every purchase, and every bid helps us build our program and keep hockey growing in East Texas. A massive thank you to everyone who came out and made our inaugural fundraiser an unforgettable success!

Quitman Farmers & Artisans Market

Bringing hockey to the heart of Quitman! We had an incredible time at the Quitman Farmers and Artisans Market, complete with our merch trailer and the ever-popular shooting gallery!

The market was buzzing, and we even caught the attention of KLTV, who stopped by to feature our growing program! We are so grateful for the media support highlighting the passion for hockey in East Texas.

Want to see the full story? You can find the KLTV news segment in the News section! Thanks to the market organizers and everyone who came out!

Winnsboro Artisans Market

New Trailer Alert! East Texas Hockey’s new merch trailer was on display at the Winnsboro Artisans Market! Check out the setup—we’re bringing the gear to an event near you!

Art & Wine Festival

Bringing the excitement of the fastest game on earth to the biggest party of the year! East Texas Hockey was thrilled to be set up at the prestigious Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival—the largest annual event in town, attracting vendors from across the state and visitors from across the country!

Our full setup, featuring the merch trailer, booth, and the always-popular shooting gallery, was a hit. We loved showing off our skills and connecting with the massive crowds. What a fantastic showcase for hockey in East Texas!

Winnsboro Christmas Parade

We doubled down on holiday cheer this year! East Texas Hockey rolled through the 2025 Winnsboro Christmas Parade with TWO incredible floats!

For the third year running, we stepped up our game, featuring a festive float plus our famous merch trailer, which was pumping out music and spreading holiday vibes down the route!

It gets bigger and better every year thanks to our amazing players and supporters. See you next year for an even grander show!

ETX Hockey Takeover
Mobile, AL

Beyond State Lines! Alabama, we had a blast! East Texas Hockey was thrilled to travel to Mobile, AL, to run a clinic for their incredible kids who are just getting started in hockey.

To inspire these young players, we brought along the captains of our own 8U and 10U teams! Our captains, Crawford Duplantis and Cason Clark, were there to demonstrate the skill and dedication needed, showing the Mobile kids exactly what’s possible when you stick with the game.

This is more than just a clinic—it’s the start of a fantastic, long-lasting relationship between our programs. Thanks for the amazing hospitality, Mobile! See you again soon!

2024

Winnsboro Rodeo
Association

Nothing beats seeing our flag ride in the arena! A huge thank you to Kimber Guest, one of our fantastic players and a member of the Winnsboro Rodeo Association, for this incredible show of support.

As a Premier Sponsor of the Winnsboro Rodeo, it means the world to see the pride and dedication of our players shining through, both on and off the rink.

Winnsboro Farmers' Market

We were thrilled to spend the day at the Winnsboro Farmers’ Market, proudly ranked in the top five in the state!

East Texas Hockey was set up, meeting the community, and chatting about everything from fresh produce to “top cheese”. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth! It’s awesome to be part of such a vibrant, high-ranking local market.

Autumn Trails Demo

What an incredible day showcasing the speed and skill of East Texas Hockey at the Winnsboro Train Depot during Autumn Trails!

We loved bringing the game right to the heart of the festival! A special shout-out to our player Karlee Davis, who not only participated in the demo but also holds the prestigious title of the reigning Miss Autumn Trails Princess!

It’s fantastic to see our players excelling on the rink and in the community. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to watch and learn about hockey!

Raiders Football Game

East Texas Hockey takes over the stands! Trading skates for cleats today as we cheered on our teammate, Jeremy Sandeen, and the Red Raiders football team! Whether it’s on the rink or the gridiron, we always show up for one another. That’s what being a team is all about! Go Jeremy!

Pepper Palooza!

From the rink to the fire! East Texas Hockey was heating up Pepper Palooza 2024! We loved meeting everyone at our booth and talking about the fastest game on earth.

But the real MVP moment goes to our brave players, Kimber Guest and Crawford Duplantis, who took on the notorious pepper eating contest! They showed true grit and toughness—proving that hockey players are tough both on and off the rink.

We salute your courage!

Dallas Stars Game

Group trip to see the pros! The East Texas Hockey players and coaches took a road trip to Dallas to watch the Dallas Stars in action! There’s nothing like seeing the fastest game on ice played at the highest level to fire up our own game. Time to bring that energy back to East Texas! Go Stars!

Winnsboro Christmas Parade

Stop the press! Santa has officially joined East Texas Hockey!

We had a blast celebrating the season at the 2024 Winnsboro Christmas Parade with our festive float, featuring the jolliest netminder in the league—Santa!

Thank you to everyone who came out to cheer us on! We hope your holidays are filled with slapshots and good times. Now, let’s see if anyone can score on the big man!

2023

Goalie Camp

The future of Texas goaltending is looking bright! We hosted an incredible Goalie Camp right here in East Texas, featuring 11 dedicated netminders of all ages who traveled from across the state!

They received elite training from former professional goalie and East Texas Hockey founder, Justin Duplantis. The commitment and focus shown by this group were phenomenal. Thanks to all the goalies for bringing their A-game!

Winnsboro Christmas Parade

What a day for East Texas Hockey! Our incredible founders, April and Justin Duplantis, led the charge, bringing the spirit of the game straight to the 2023 Winnsboro Christmas Parade!

We were so proud to showcase our first-ever float, featuring some amazing players and the enthusiasm that defines our league. Watching the community cheer for hockey in East Texas was an unforgettable moment.

Thank you to April, Justin, all the players, and everyone who came out to support us!

2022

First meeting

A dedicated group gathered for the first time to bring East Texas Hockey to life. This photo captures the excitement and commitment that started our organization.

Our Teams

Winnsboro hockey is our house league team and the banner our players play under that do not participate in our elite program.

East Texas Rink Rats is our elite program. We have tryouts each November. Our elite team competes in local, regional, and national tournaments.

RRiT stands for Rink Rats in Training. These players are working hard each week to improve their skill, with the hopes of making the elite team next year.