The Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund is back and eager to help Canadian families experience the power of play by offering up to $500 in registration subsidies for players (including those already registered) who qualify for funding. 

For the 2024-25 season, the Assist Fund commits to providing $1 million/2,000 assists to kids across Canada to help them access hockey. Since 2020, the Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund has granted over 3.8 million dollars and has given over 8,558 assists.

In the 2023-24 season alone the Assist Fund received more than 4,000 applications and  provided funding to 3,306 families.

What is the Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund?
The Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund was created in 2020 to provide financial support to Canadian youth who want to play hockey and break barriers. 

The fund will provide up to $500 per youth player in registration fee subsidies for financially-qualified applicants registered with a sanctioned Hockey Canada association.

Who qualifies for Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund?
Financial Qualification: The Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund is open to applicants (as defined by the Canada Revenue Agency) who currently meet the LICO (low income cutoff) as established by Stats Canada.

Registration Fee Qualification: Applicants must be registering a child with a Hockey Canada-sanctioned local hockey association (LHA) for the 2024-25 season.

What is required to apply for the Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund?
To apply, you will need to fill out an online form and provide a few documents to demonstrate your financial and registration fee qualifications. 

For financial qualification, please provide proof of total family annual income for that respective year. This could include your Canada Child Benefit (CCB), or last year’s Notice of Assessment (NOA) Line 15,000 for income earning family members. 

For Registration Fee Qualification, please provide proof of Minor Hockey Association Registration or official quote from Minor Hockey Association you plan to register your kids. Once you have applied for an assist, you can NOT switch your association.

You will also need to disclose if you’ve applied for other funding.

How much funding will applicants receive?
Each approved applicant will receive up to $500 per player in funding that will only go toward registration fees with a sanctioned Hockey Canada association.

When will applicants receive their funding?Funding for approved applicants will be sent to their Hockey Canada-sanctioned local hockey association (LHA), which will then apply the funds to the applicant’s registration fees. Processing of requests and approvals should range from two to four weeks (subject to volume of requests). Disbursement of funds will vary by LHA – please contact your LHA directly.

How long is the Fund accepting applications for the 2024-25 season?The Hockey Canada Foundation Assist Fund will be open to receive applications starting August 1, 2024 and will remain opened until $1 million of assists have been accepted. Only applications that are submitted with sufficient documentation will be processed and all applications will be assessed on a first come, first served basis. Once this limit has been reached, the Assist Fund application portal will be closed and no further applications will be accepted for the remainder of the season. In addition, any applications which were submitted but were not assessed prior to the limit being reached will not be approved, regardless of whether they would have otherwise met HCF’s eligibility criteria.

How are funds being allocated?
To ensure equity, we will allocate $10,000 per Member. Funds will then be distributed on a first come, first served basis. The Hockey Canada Foundation works hard year-round with a goal to ensure funds are available to meet the demand from coast to coast. 

Who can I contact if I have further questions?
For additional assistance, please contact assistfund@hockeycanada.ca.