Team Rogers Community Draft: Support for Young Hockey Players

Hockey is a big part of life in Canada, but many families struggle with the high costs. Between equipment, league fees, and training, the expenses add up quickly. Team Rogers Community Draft came up with a solution to help. This program across Canada didn’t just help families with money – it gave kids a chance to learn from their NHL heroes.

What made this program special was how it worked: $150 for hockey fees plus online training with real NHL players. For many families dealing with sports costs that can reach $3,000+ per season, this support helped get their kids on the ice. While Team Rogers helps, hockey funding also comes from sponsorships, donations, and gambling revenues, including online casino and lottery support.

Betting on Youth Sports: How Gambling Funds Community Hockey

In many parts of Canada, lotteries, sports betting, and online casinos contribute to funding local sports programs. Provincial lotteries often set aside a portion of their earnings to support amateur sports, helping young athletes cover costs like registration and travel. Some online casinos and betting companies sponsor hockey leagues, providing much-needed financial support. This funding helps teams afford better training facilities, new equipment, and even reduced fees for families who can’t afford to pay full costs.

However, there are always discussions about balancing gambling revenue with responsible play, ensuring that funds benefit communities without promoting harmful gambling behaviours.

With various funding sources in youth hockey, Team Rogers stands out by directly supporting players with aid and mentorship. But how did it work?

What Was Team Rogers Community Draft?

Young Hockey Players

Team Rogers Community Draft was built to help young hockey players succeed. Rogers created this program to make hockey easier to access and more affordable for kids in minor leagues.

The program worked in three ways:

  • Money help: $150 straight to program fees
  • Learning from pros: NHL players shared tips and advice
  • Special events: Kids got hockey gear and cool experiences

The program was part of Rogers’ commitment to supporting young athletes, ensuring that cost and accessibility didn’t prevent kids from playing the game they love.

Who Could Apply and How?

The program was designed for young hockey players aged 5 to 17 who were registered in a legitimate minor hockey league or camp in Canada.

Parents or legal guardians were required to apply on behalf of their child. If a family had more than one child playing minor hockey, they could submit applications for each of them.

How to Apply?

The application process was simple and entirely free:

  1. Parents/guardians could use their Rogers login at the My Rogers Canada portal to submit their application.
  2. Applications closed in December, with selected players notified by December 20.
  3. Once drafted by Team Rogers, the player received $150 toward their hockey fees, along with access to other program perks.

Since there was no cost to apply, families had nothing to lose by signing up. The selection process aimed to support as many young players as possible across Canada.

Benefits of Team Rogers Community Draft

$150 for Hockey Fees

The program gave each picked player $150 for their hockey costs. In a sport where families often spend between $2,000 and $5,000 per season on fees alone, this help made a real difference. Over 1,000 kids got this support, meaning Rogers put more than $150,000 back into community hockey.

Hockey Player

NHL Player Mentorship

Kids got to learn from these NHL stars:

  • Connor McDavid (100+ points in multiple seasons)
  • John Tavares (over 900 NHL games played)
  • Bo Horvat (scored 30+ goals in a season)
  • Darnell Nurse (plays 25+ minutes per game)
  • Mark Scheifele (point-per-game player)
  • Alexis Lafrenière (1st overall draft pick 2020)
  • Marie-Philip Poulin (Olympic gold medalist)

They taught kids through:

  • Online training sessions
  • Group video chats
  • Game tips and tricks
  • How to handle game pressure
  • Being a good team player

Hockey Gear and Special Perks

Every player drafted by Rogers Team received:

  • Team Rogers welcome pack
  • Winter toque
  • BioSteel sports bottle
  • Special online events access
  • Chances to win signed NHL gear

Over 1,000 welcome kits were sent out, each worth about $50 in gear and goodies.

Helping More Kids Play

The program partnered with HEROS Hockey, a non-profit organization that provides free hockey programs for underprivileged youth. Through this partnership, Team Rogers helped fund coaching, staffing, and resources to make hockey more accessible for kids who might not otherwise have the chance to play.

By supporting HEROS Hockey, Team Rogers extended its reach beyond the drafted players and helped create more opportunities for young athletes across Canada.

About Team Rogers

The local hockey rink means a lot to Canadians. As HEROS Hockey director Kevin Hodgson puts it:

“The rink is where kids and families come together. It’s where they make friends and learn skills that last a lifetime.”

Team Rogers helps make this happen. They put money where it matters – over $150,000 goes straight to helping kids play hockey. So far, they’ve helped more than 1,000 young players get on the ice who might not have had the chance otherwise.

The program works with some big names in hockey. NHL star Connor McDavid, who helps teach young players, says:

“Working with young hockey players and passing on what we know – that’s what hockey is all about.”

Seven NHL teams work with Team Rogers. Together, they run programs in 24 towns and cities across Canada. Over 10,000 kids have played hockey through their work with HEROS Hockey, which helps kids who can’t afford to play. A recent check showed that 83% of families say the program made hockey cheaper for their kids. Some towns have seen 40% more kids signing up for hockey since Team Rogers started helping.

They don’t just give money – they make sure kids learn from the best. Through their online training, kids can watch and learn from pro players who’ve scored hundreds of NHL goals. As one program report notes:

“Many Canadian families find hockey too expensive for their kids. Team Rogers is changing that, one player at a time.”

Why It Mattered

Team Rogers Community Draft proved that good support needs more than just money. By the numbers:

  • 1,000+ kids got financial help
  • 7 NHL stars shared their knowledge
  • 24 communities got extra support
  • Thousands of families saved on hockey costs

Looking back at what Team Rogers Community Draft achieved, it did much more than just help with hockey costs. The program opened doors for thousands of young players – making the sport more affordable, bringing NHL knowledge to local rinks, and strengthening hockey communities across Canada.

Every kid who stepped onto the ice through this program became part of something bigger – Canada’s favourite sport. And that’s what makes Team Rogers different from typical corporate programs – they didn’t just give money, they helped build the future of Canadian hockey, one player at a time.

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