There’s a reason Minnesota is called the State of Hockey. For starters, there are more hockey players here at every level – from Mites to professionals – than any other state in the country.

As of the 2024-25 season, Minnesota can claim:

• More than 20% of Americans in the NHL
• Nearly 40% of Americans in the PWHL
• More than 450 NCAA D1 players
• 1 out of 5 American men that play D-I hockey
• 1 out of 3 American women that play D-I hockey
• Approximately 14% of all girls’ hockey players in the U.S. (around 13,800 of the nearly 100,000 total)
• 275+ community rinks

So, it should come as no surprise that Minnesota is on the verge of becoming the first state to hit another major statistical milestone: 20,000 registered players in the 8-and-under category.

“The significance of 20,000 is that it means we’re growing the game across the state,” Minnesota Hockey Executive Director Jeremy Reed said. “We want to be able to continue to build that base and keep them involved, from introducing these players to hockey, to getting them to experience our development model, and then hopefully playing for their local communities and high schools in the future.”

As the foundation of USA Hockey’s membership, the continued growth of this group of players, ages 4-8, is critical to the current and future success of the sport in the U.S. It’s a mark that those in the Minnesota hockey landscape are proud to be the first to approach and working hard to surpass.

“Reaching 20,000 8U players has been a goal ever since I started,” Minnesota Hockey Membership Development Manager Akua Tieku said. “We hit 19,000 in 2022. Within the last few months, we revamped our membership development committee and we are really pushing toward this next goal. Working with the Minnesota Wild on programs like Skate It Forward have helped to remove barriers for families. We’re also seeing that some of the grants and internal programs are making an impact in communities across the state.”

Community Mindset at the Core

Encouraging thousands of kids to try the sport for the first time is enough of a challenge but sustaining players’ interest and participation over the long haul is quite another. Based on the numbers, it’s clear that Minnesota has figured out the formula to success in this arena.

The “secret sauce” is Minnesota’s unique community hockey model, which aims to make the sport more affordable and accessible to as many kids as possible, while emphasizing long-term athlete development and the ability of players to play competitive hockey closer to home.

“Our model provides the principles for long-term athlete development and participation in the game,” said Reed. “It’s community-owned ice rinks and facilities. Local organizations, local business and volunteers all coming together to keep costs down for families and make it work. And it’s the kids having fun and learning the game at their own pace, while playing with their friends.”

The Minnesota Development Model is based on the principles of USA Hockey’s American Development Model, which integrates training, competition and age-appropriate development – including small-area and cross-ice games – so that each child can reach his or her potential. The emphasis on winning comes after fun and skill development. USA Hockey and Minnesota Hockey provide the guidelines and best practices, and then the more than 130 nonprofit, volunteer-based community hockey associations help to deliver the experience.

Programs such as Skate It Forward, Try Hockey for Free and Learn to Skate, various equipment drives and mentor programs, as well as a wide variety of association-driven activities at the local level, all contribute to opening doors for new hockey families in Minnesota.

“We want to create an environment where the kids have a great experience on the ice, are fully engaged and want to come back to the rink,” said Reed. “We’ve seen in other parts of the country where they got away from the community model. Once you go down that road it’s tough to go back.”

The Future is Now

While the impressive participation numbers, milestones and national recognition for Minnesota’s model are a great source of pride, they’re also evidence that the state has something worth protecting and preserving. As has been proven elsewhere, taking success for granted can come at a cost.

“We have to make sure that some of the things that got us here we’re able to maintain and keep,” said Reed. “It’s a major team effort throughout our hockey community to continue to try to find creative ways to keep costs down and make it enticing to families to come out and experience our sport.”

“What makes Minnesota special is there are places for everybody to play and a variety of competition levels that can fit for families that want a high level of competition or just want to have fun,” Reed added. “If we can hit the 20,000 mark, that would be absolutely fantastic. Then it’s about retention and development, while continuing to grow, so these kids can all be the best versions of themselves.”