NHL & NHLPA LEARN TO PLAY

Let's Get Playing.

Learn. Play. GROW.

Why Hockey?

Learn to Play can help your child learn and grow in all aspects of life. Playing hockey helps improve children’s physical fitness while strengthening their mental health, encouraging leadership behaviors, fostering character development, and teaching important life lessons.

About Learn To Play

Share. Support. Empower.

In a commitment to empowering a brighter future for all, Discover is partnering with the NHL to make hockey more accessible nationwide. Discover believes hockey is for everyone and, by investing in the NHL & NHLPA Learn to Play program, Discover hopes to strengthen communities by growing this great game. Discover is proud to highlight stories from the Learn to Play program and celebrate those who make hockey more inclusive for all.

Watch Empowering Stories

The Facts

Studies show that children who play youth sports:

Encountering Empowering Experiences 2

Encounter an empowering experience for women and girls: When compared to girls who don’t play sports, female athletes are 111% more likely to say that they are happy the way they are; and 16% less likely to want to change their appearance (6)

Encounter Empowering Experiences

Encounter an empowering experience for women and girls: When compared to girls who don’t play sports, female athletes are 14% more likely to believe that they are smart enough for their dream career (6)

Interact in an environment

Interact in an environment that can be used to celebrate and value diversity – because sport can encourage inclusion and the equal participation of underrepresented groups. (5)

Better Lifestyle Choices

Increase their likelihood of having a healthy diet, getting ample daily physical activity, and sleeping at least seven hours per night. (4)

Have Higher Test Scores

Earn up to 40% higher test scores (3)

Experience Improved Psychological Health

Fare better than non-athletes on multiple markers of psychological health, including high self-esteem and stronger social connections (2)

Get Fitted. Get Playing.

Equipment & Safety

Creating a safe environment for families to develop a love for hockey is integral to the Learn to Play program and the first step in doing so is providing all participants with properly fitted head-to-toe equipment.

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