How do I register?

The first step in signing your child up for hockey is to register online for USA Hockey Membership. Upon completing that form, USA Hockey will provide you with a confirmation number that can be used to register with your local association.

To find the youth hockey association closest to you, click here.

Is Minnesota Hockey only for youth players?

Minnesota Hockey provides a variety of hockey programs for all ages. Youth players (14 & Under) participating within their local association or the Rec League constitute the majority of our members.  Many high school age players participate in our Junior Gold and CCM High Performance programs.  There are Adult and Women's hockey programs available for players over 18 years old. Minnesota Disabled Hockey provides people of all ages with mental and physical disabilities the opportunity to play hockey.  Minnesota Hockey also includes registered coaches and officials.

My child is ___ years old. Is it too early/too late to start playing hockey?

Minnesota Hockey encourages families to wait until their kids are at least four years old before starting organized hockey. Many associations require players to be five years old.  Kids that start hockey before they are physically and mentally ready are more likely to have a negative experience.

It is never too late to start playing hockey.  Players have joined hockey programs at 12-13 years old and still made varsity hockey teams. More importantly, the expansion of college intramural and adult teams have made hockey a lifetime sport.  Many adult leagues in Minnesota offer clinics, teams and leagues designed specifically for beginners.

What age level should my child be playing at?

Each summer Minnesota Hockey publishes a list of age charts and participation levels for the coming season. Please note that Minnesota Hockey has a summer date cut off, rather than the Jan. 1st cut off used by USA Hockey.  The primary reason for this difference is our effort to more consistently align our programs with school age levels, allowing kids to play with their friends from school.

Is hockey safe for my child?

One of Minnesota Hockey's primary focuses is the safety of your child. In addition to delaying body checking to the Bantam/14U age level, we currently have a number of on-ice initiatives in place including Heads-Up Don't Duck, Fair Play, the STOP patch and concussion education and protocol.

With the assistance of USA Hockey, we have also implemented the most comprehensive off-ice safety program available in youth sports called Safe Sport.  Safe Sport enhances Minnesota Hockey's ZERO TOLERANCE policy of misconduct and abuse by creating mechanisms for training parents and administrators, reporting incidents, supervising the youth hockey environment and responding to issues.

What is the Participation Rule?

The participation rule is a policy of Minnesota Hockey's that has been put in place to ensure the integrity of our community-based model. In simple terms, players are supposed to participate within the hockey association where they live or go to school. For the complete rule, please visit the Participation Rule in the Minnesota Hockey Handbook under Youth Rules and Regulations, IV. Participation.