What you’re actually getting
Some weeks it’s the money. Some weeks it’s a deadline, a rule change, or the thing every kid suddenly wants. Whatever the week brings, it’s held to the same standard:
01 Backed by data Two decades of data discipline, applied to hockey. Every claim carries the number and the source, so you can check the work. | 02 Written from inside Not commentary from the parking lot — an unbiased read from someone who works in the game every day and answers to no program or league. | 03 Built to teach The pathways, the price tags, the acronyms — explained so you understand the sport a little better every week, not just the news. | 04 Never a chore The stuff for the car ride and the group chat — like what your kid means by a “3D-printed bucket,” and what five months does to a sealed hockey bag. |
From recent issues
The number A maxed WHL education package is worth roughly $31,000 CAD, about four years of average Canadian university tuition. | The date USA Hockey named its 29 Development League programs on October 5, and all 29 accepted. If your player was born between 2010 and 2013, signing opens in January. | The rule Neck protection is required in both countries: HECC-certified in the US, BNQ in Canada. The US still accepts BNQ, but only through this season. |
The youth hockey market is full of people selling dreams to parents. I’m here with the facts — so you can decide what’s right for your kid.
Independent · Data-backed · Always sourced · Built for the decisions you actually face
Who writes this
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Adam Collins Youth hockey coach. Hockey parent. Member of the team at Titan BattleGear, a hockey safety apparel brand — which is fully disclosed when applicable. He has sat in the rink at 6am, paid the AAA invoice, raced the clock on SafeSport certifications and weighed the conflicting data in the industry countless times. The newsletter is the thing he wanted to read and could not find. |
The Decision Kit
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The DL Decision Kit USA Hockey's Development League signs its first players in January. If your player was born between 2010 and 2013, this is the guide for the decision in front of you. It covers the rules and dates that apply to every DL team, all 29 programs, what a good Team Fact Sheet looks like, what a season could cost your family, the questions to put to a hockey director, three emails you can send as they are, and a step-by-step way to decide. The launch price is $12. It rises to $19 when the first club fees are published and added, and everyone who buys gets every update free. Get the Kit for $12 →Independent and sourced. Not legal advice. The free guides are here → |
Thursdays at 6am, before the group chat gets it wrong.
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