Ice hockey is an expensive sport. No matter how you try to shake it out, the game costs money.



Casual street hockey only requires a stick and a rubber ball, but the costs skyrocket the minute a kid steps onto the ice.



Skates aren’t cheap, nor is ice time — and to fully outfit a player in the proper safety gear to get into the game, parents feel the financial strain almost immediately.



Add in league costs, and it’s not hard to see why the majority of children in lower socioeconomic areas have no way to get started in the game. While a 2017 survey by Utah State University estimated that American families spend just under $2,300 per child on youth sports every year, the average ice hockey family spends over $7,000. Only lacrosse, on average, costs families more.



The NHL is working to change that, providing equipment and rink access to kids and demographics that never had opportunities before. But despite the growing numbers of...