Hockey is set to grow exponentially in the United Kingdom, its outreach spreading through kids learning to play the game and potentially fall in love with it.
The NHL and Ice Hockey UK on Wednesday announced a new partnership that will provide free access to NHL Street Hockey, the League's ball hockey program for youth abroad, and additional learn-to-skate sessions for children ages 5-11 in schools across the country.
The program will launch in six cities this season with plans for expansion beginning in 2026-27. All children in the program will receive equipment provided by the NHL.
"I really wanted to make getting into ice hockey in those formative years all about having fun and staying in the game," Ice Hockey UK CEO Henry Staelens said. "Getting serious about it or playing to purely win, I think, can come a lot later on, so just picking up a stick and playing with friends, learning good values and creating sort of new communities is probably really what our goal here is."
Staelens joined Ice Hockey UK in April 2023 after nearly five years as CEO of the Forest Green Rovers Football Club, based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, where they competed in League One of the English Football League, the third level of soccer in England. But he was taken by hockey and the latent potential, even with the sport struggling with publicity and accessibility.
The short-term goal of NHL Street Hockey is getting the maximum number of kids and parents involved at no cost. Longer term is taking it nationally into underrepresented communities throughout the UK.
"This program promotes, obviously, teaching about hockey and giving it an introduction to sport for kids," NHL vice president of international operations Mark Black said. "We also talk about the importance of healthy, active lifestyles amongst youth these days, getting kids involved and giving them a chance to play a sport, and also the development of soft skills that team sports contributes to as well, which parents find pretty important too."
The NHL last visited the UK for the 2007 Premiere Series, when the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks split a two-game series to open the 2007-08 season at O2 Arena in London. But five years later, the sport endured a lack of funding and media coverage in a UK sports ecosystem dominated by soccer.
Today, hockey is the fifth-most watched team sport in the country. Women's participation is up 16 percent from the past season with more room to grow for the girls' game and the Paralympic space.
The biggest difference is public funding through UK Sport, an agency that since 1997 has provided high-performance experts to the country's athletes, teams, sports and events through investment of the National Lottery and Government funds.
"We're now a very investable entity in this country," Staelens said "We're progressive doing things from the national governing body standpoint to make the sport as transparent and progressive as possible."
Each of the six original cities are represented by the Elite Ice Hockey League, the UK's highest level of hockey. Those new to the sport will learn to skate and hopefully either play or become a fan of their local team. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly endorsed the partnership as one "inspiring the next generation of hockey players." The overall message is skills that are transferable to life and hockey being another option for an athlete to try.
And to simply be a kid.
"Enjoy it," Black said. "And then the seriousness can come in at a later age. Let them have fun."
