How the Minnesota Community Hockey Model Makes Hockey Affordable, Inclusive, and Effective

It can be taken for granted in the moment, but young hockey players growing up playing the game in Minnesota are living in a Golden Age.

Community hockey in the Gopher State is more affordable, more inclusive, and most notably, more effective than anywhere else in North America.

Why does Minnesota Hockey continue to evolve and innovate better than anywhere else?

It’s a consistent list of pillars: community owned rinks that aren’t out to make a profit, charitable gambling that significantly reduces costs for families, minimized equipment barriers, and qualified volunteers giving their time.

But what really makes Minnesota not just the last bastion of hope against an increasing national trend of youth sports privatization and commercialization, but also the leader… is what we provide: an ecosystem like no other.

“Our product is stronger because our base is bigger, we include more athletes,” says Mike MacMillan, USA Hockey National Coach-In-Chief. “We also provide opportunity for our elite athletes at the top, but because it’s more affordable and the entry point is more reasonable, the foundation is so much broader (than other states). That allows us to continue to have success.”

The proof is in the data. Minnesota has over 55,000 players across the state and is on the verge of 20,000 8U registered players, a number that has never been surpassed by any other state, ever. These youth players go on to compete at the collegiate, professional, and olympic level. 

Last year, 248 Minnesotans were playing Division I Men’s Hockey, nearly 20 more than the next closest two states, Massachusetts and Michigan combined. Minnesota leads the world in developing DI Men’s Hockey talent, and is second only to Ontario for producing NHL talent. At the 2025 NHL draft, 12 out of 13 players played Minnesota high school hockey. 

On the Women’s side, the North Star State continues to lead the way in producing top-end talent. USA Hockey is nearing 100,000 female registered players, nearly 1 out of 5 are from Minnesota.  At the collegiate level, 33% of American women that play D-I hockey hail from Minnesota. In 2024, Minnesotans accounted for nearly 40% of Americans in the PWHL- a number expected to increase the season with the addition of 6 Minnesotan draft picks and several others competing training camp this November. These statistics demonstrate the success of the community hockey system that allowed players to live out their dreams.