GROWING ICE SPORTS. FOR GOOD.
Canadians love hockey and all the good things it brings. But too many are being shut out of the game.
Why? Because they can't get ice time.
And they're not alone. People from other ice sports, like figure skating and ringette, face the same problem.
Across the country, our ice rinks – the home of hockey – are struggling to meet a growing demand for ice access amid soaring operational costs. Unless we can find new ways to help them, many will be forced to close their doors, leaving ice sport lovers out in the cold.
It doesn't have to be that way.
Just imagine what it would be like if we could give ice time to everyone who wants it. Think about what that would do for us all. Improve our health. Build strong communities. Create vibrant businesses. And grow the game, for good.
So what's stopping us?
Scarcity – of data about who's actually using ice in Canada’s 2900+ rinks.
Culture – of historical practices and beliefs about how to manage ice.
Fear – of asking hard questions and disrupting the status quo.
Designed by innovation experts, in collaboration with the hockey community, Open Ice offers game-changing benefits to everyone who wants to get and stay in the game.
Open Ice Benefits
Ice Users: Affordable, accessible ice time for hockey, figure skating, ringette, and more.
Rink Managers: Tools to simplify scheduling and maximize revenue.
Municipalities: Better community engagement and return on public investments.
Early Insights
Two-thirds of rinks surveyed don’t have any kind of online booking system.
Access often depends on “who you know” rather than transparent processes.
How Open Ice works.
Collect data
We gather information about how ice is being used in rinks across communities.
Find gaps
Using the data, we identify when and where ice time is underutilized or inaccessible.
Create solutions
We work with rink managers, communities, governments, and businesses to build fair, transparent systems that make ice time available to everyone.
Empower communities
Our tools help players, parents, and organizations easily find and book ice. Plus, rink managers and municipalities get insights to plan better and maximize impact.
Why hasn’t anyone tackled the problem of ice access before?
Because it has historically been seen as everyone’s problem, which makes it no one’s problem. But as an independent non-profit, the FHL is perfectly positioned to take this on. By tapping into our relationships with organizations across the hockey ecosystem, we’re able to bring diverse constituents together to work with experts and innovators from across the country. Through this unique collaboration, we’re developing innovative solutions to address the root causes of the issue and make lasting, system changes that benefit everyone.
The face of hockey is changing.
While enrolment in some demographics is down, the explosive success of the PWHL and hockey diversity initiatives has sparked unprecedented demand for ice time. But if newcomers to the game can’t get on the ice, hockey’s future is at risk.
Open Ice isn’t about taking away access from one group to give it to another. It’s about finding new ways to grow the game for all.
Join the movement.
Let’s work together to unlock our ice potential and grow ice sports for good. Get in touch to support Open Ice or bring it to your community.
Open Ice Team
We're fortunate to work with diverse community leaders and sports experts from across the country who provide advice and guidance to support our shared goal of ensuring equitable access to ice time for all Canadians while fostering the growth of ice sports.
National Advisory Board
Michelle Aucoin, Managing Director, Sport & Physical Activity & Recreation, Province of Nova Scotia
Mike Field, Executive Director, Hockey Nova Scotia
Yves Hamelin, Executive Director, Equine Register Canada Equine Canada
Steve Mann, Data Scientist, Global Partnerships Director, 4Global
Pat McLaughlin, COO, Hockey Canada
Mark Schrutt, Innovation & Public Sector Research, IDC, Shifting the Balance
Brendon Smithson, Director of Regional Recreation Services, Halifax Regional Municipality
Sasha Tregebov, Behavioural Specialist, Director, The Behavioural Insights Team
Amy Walsh, CEO & Co-Founder, Future of Hockey Lab
Community Experts Board
Kevin Bennett, Manager of Parks and Recreation Facilities, West Hants
Paul Carroll, General Manager, Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre
Braelin Rowe, Technology Lead, Future of Hockey Lab
Jennie Greencorn, Executive Director, Recreation Facilities Association of Nova Scotia
Jen Heddon, General Manager, Cole Harbour Place
Christina Lamey, Cohort Change Maker & President, Cape Breton Blizzard Female Minor Hockey Association
Lindsey MacIntosh, Research and Community Engagement Lead, Future of Hockey Lab
Doug Murphy, Manager of Sport & Scheduling, Halifax Regional Municipality
Matt Oxford, Scheduler, Bedford Blue, Minor Hockey Association
Leanne Rankin, Scheduler, Metro East Inferno Female Minor Hockey Association
Brad Taylor, Technical Director, Hockey Nova Scotia
