COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – More than 8,000 children across the country had the opportunity to try hockey for the first time last Saturday (Nov. 2) during the first of this season’s two national USA Hockey Try Hockey For Free days. USA Hockey’s Try Hockey For Free, presented by Discover, days are focused on providing an opportunity for children who haven’t tried the sport to do so without cost.
Certified volunteers and coaches provided instruction and fun games for children to play on the ice, and host sites provided equipment for children to borrow.
“Seeing so many families enjoying their first youth hockey experience is such an honor,” said Katie Holmgren, USA Hockey’s director of program services. “It is a great reminder each season of why it’s so wonderful to be part of the hockey community. Our volunteers around the country do so much work to ensure that the kids’ first experience with the sport is memorable. It is inspiring to see everyone come together to welcome the newest wave of young hockey players.”
Nearly 300 different rinks across the country hosted Try Hockey For Free, presented by Discover, events. South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch, Colo., welcomed 166 participants, the most of any host site in the country. Monument Ice Rinks in Monument, Colo., followed with 149 children trying hockey for the first time, while AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park, Kan., had the third-most participants with 110.
Other sites with notable attendance included Kansas City Ice Center in Mission, Kan., with 96 participants; Sport Stable in Superior, Colo., with 95; Ice & Golf Center at Northwoods in San Antonio, Texas, with 92; Olympic View Arena in Terrance, Wash., with 67; and Iceland Sports Complex in Louisville, Ky., with 66.
With the support of the NHL and NHL member clubs, as well as sponsors and local associations, USA Hockey’s Try Hockey For Free, presented by Discover, days are designed to provide a national platform for introducing children to the sport free of charge. The events are the world’s largest introduction-to-hockey initiative.
USA Hockey’s annual Hockey Week Across America celebration will include the second national Try Hockey For Free Day, presented by Discover, on February 22, 2025. Interested host sites can go here for more information.
NOTES: Discover is the official presenting sponsor of Try Hockey For Free … USA Hockey’s Try Hockey for Free initiative has introduced over 271,500 children to the sport of hockey.
