Every goal has someone who set it up. These are the people setting up the next generation of players: free gear, free ice, sleds for kids who can't stand on skates, and coaches who show up. Pick a region, pick a lane, and hit donate. Every link goes straight to a place you can give.
No cut. No strings. Puck & Piston isn't affiliated with any of these charities and doesn't take a cent of what you give. Your donation goes to them, not us.
National
Programs that reach players across the whole country.
Youth hockey
USA Hockey Foundation: Youth Hockey Development Fund
NationwideFunds programs that bring new kids into the game and keep costs down for families. Pick the Youth Hockey fund when you give.
Black Girl Hockey Club
NationwideScholarships and new-gear grants for Black girls ages 9 to 18 who play, plus mentorship on and off the ice.
United Heroes League
NationwideStarted as Defending the Blue Line. Free gear, fee grants and camps so military kids can play.
Adaptive & sled hockey
USA Hockey Foundation: Disabled Hockey Fund
NationwideBacks sled, special, blind, deaf and hard of hearing, standing amputee and warrior hockey across the country.
American Special Hockey Association
NationwideHockey for players with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Grants for new teams, camps and financial help.
USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program
NationwideStanding and sled hockey for injured and disabled veterans. All volunteer. None tougher, hockey heals.
Hendrickson Foundation
NationwideGrows adaptive and warrior hockey programs so anyone who wants to play has a place to do it.
Northeast
New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.
Youth hockey
Ice Hockey in Harlem
New York, NYFree hockey, gear and tutoring for Harlem kids since 1987. More about building people than building players.
Hasek's Heroes
Buffalo, NYStarted by Dominik Hasek. Free skating, gear and coaching for hundreds of Western New York kids every season.
Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education
Philadelphia, PAFree hockey, equipment, academic support and college help for kids across Philly, run out of city rinks.
Hockey in New Jersey
Newark, NJTeaches the game to city kids ages 6 to 18 and takes gear donations for players who need it.
Adaptive & sled hockey
Mighty Penguins Sled Hockey
Pittsburgh, PAYouth and adult sled teams with 20 national titles. Donations cover sleds and ice time.
Hammerheads Sled Hockey Association
Feasterville, PAGets physically disabled kids into sleds and onto the ice in the Philly suburbs.
Northeast Passage Sled Hockey
Durham, NHYouth and adult sled hockey at UNH. Has sent a player to every U.S. Paralympic sled team since 1998.
Southeast
D.C. down through the Carolinas and Florida.
Youth hockey
Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena
Washington, D.C.Ran D.C.'s only full-size rink for decades and still runs free youth skating and hockey. Since the city took the rink over, they bus kids to Maryland for ice.
Florida Fury Hockey Foundation
South FloridaHockey programs built for low-income kids, teaching teamwork, accountability and self-respect.
Adaptive & sled hockey
Space Coast Sled Hockey
Brevard County, FLCompetitive youth and adult sled teams. Their kids won a national U18 title and produced Team USA players.
Hurricanes Sled Hockey
Raleigh, NCThe Carolinas' first sled program, for veterans, amputees and kids born with disabilities. Note sled hockey with your gift.
Midwest
The Great Lakes and the State of Hockey.
Youth hockey
DinoMights
Minneapolis & St. Paul, MNIce time, coaches, gear, rides and tutoring for 600 kids a year in the Twin Cities' toughest neighborhoods.
Detroit Ice Dreams
Detroit, MIFounded by a Detroit kid who went pro and came home. Keeps hockey affordable for city youth.
Hockey Gear For All Foundation
Lombard, ILCollects, cleans and hands out used gear to Chicago-area families who can't swing new equipment.
Adaptive & sled hockey
Minnesota Sled Hockey Association
MinnesotaHome of the Minnesota Wild sled teams. Gifts fund player scholarships and sleds.
Ohio Sled Hockey
Columbus, OHAll-volunteer sled program since 2001, with youth teams around the state.
Chicago Special Hockey
Chicago, ILHockey for kids and adults with developmental disabilities.
Southwest
Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas.
Youth hockey
Matt Shott Arizona Hockey Legacy Foundation
ArizonaKeeping Arizona youth hockey alive after the Coyotes left. Gear, programs and coaching for new players.
Desert Hockey Development
ArizonaAlways-free ball hockey clinics for kids 4 to 14. Over 5,000 kids introduced to the game.
Jake Kielb's Hockey Foundation
Las Vegas, NVFree gear and skate clinics for Southern Nevada kids, started by a hockey mom before Vegas had an NHL team.
Houston Hockey Community
Houston, TXIce, roller and street hockey for all ages and abilities, and working toward a community rink.
Adaptive & sled hockey
Blade Runners Sled Hockey
New MexicoA young sled program bringing para hockey to New Mexico.
Mountain West
Utah, Colorado and the Rockies.
Youth hockey
Korth Rebels Foundation
West Jordan, UTDon Korth has outfitted 500+ Utah kids a year with free gear for decades. Gear donations welcome.
Hockey Unlimited
ColoradoCovers the costs for kids who couldn't otherwise play, from learn to skate all the way up.
Adaptive & sled hockey
Utah Sled Hockey Association
Park City, UTHome of the Utah Mammoth sled team and Utah's annual sled tournament. Recruiting new players.
Colorado Sled Hockey Association
Denver, COSince 1995. The first sled team ever sponsored by an NHL club. Kids and Wounded Warriors play together.
Pacific
California, the Northwest and Alaska.
Youth hockey
Scotty Gomez Foundation
Anchorage, AKLoaned gear, lessons and teams for Alaska kids whose families can't cover the cost.
Oakland Hockey Project
Oakland, CABreaks down the cost barrier so underserved Oakland kids can play and watch hockey.
Adaptive & sled hockey
San Diego Ducks Sled Hockey
San Diego, CAFounded by a Marine veteran. Youth and adult sled teams out of Poway.
Seattle Adaptive Sports: Sled Kraken
Seattle, WASled hockey and a disabled veterans team, with low fees so cost isn't a barrier.
California Condors Special Hockey
Los Angeles, CACalifornia's first special needs hockey program. 100 percent volunteer run.
International
For fans outside the U.S., or anyone who wants to grow the game worldwide.
Youth hockey
The Hockey Foundation
WorldwideTakes gear and coaches to remote places like Ladakh, India. Helped start India's national teams.
HEROS Hockey
CanadaFree hockey and mentoring for at-risk kids in nine Canadian cities. Gives in Canadian dollars.
Adaptive & sled hockey
HEROS Hockey: SuperHEROS
CanadaHEROS' adaptive program for kids with disabilities. Donate through HEROS and mention SuperHEROS.
Rinks worth supporting
Nonprofit and community rinks that put kids on the ice. They run on donations and ice fees, not investors. Each one checked for who runs it, help for families who can't afford it, and no exclusive streaming deals or filming bans.
Utah Olympic Oval
Kearns, UTRun by the nonprofit Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. Learn to Play has sliding-scale discounts up to 75 percent off, plus full scholarships.
Glacier Ice Rink
Missoula, MTRun by the local youth hockey association. You can give straight to the fund that covers registration for families who need help.
Reno Ice
Reno, NVA nonprofit community arena with youth, girls and sled hockey, and financial aid for young skaters.
Pettit National Ice Center
Milwaukee, WINonprofit Olympic training rink with hockey from age 4 up and $15 open stick time.
McFarland Ice Arena
McFarland, WIIndependent nonprofit rink outside Madison, home ice for the local youth and high school teams.
Kroc Center Ice Arena
San Diego, CASalvation Army community rink with youth hockey, learn to play, and scholarships for families.
Philadelphia's free city rinks
Philadelphia, PACity rinks where kids skate free, kept running with Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education. Give through Snider.
How these made the list
- Hockey first. Every group here exists to put people on the ice, or does hockey as a core program.
- Grassroots over corporate. We skip foundations tied to rink operators that charge families to stream games, push stay-to-play hotel deals, or tell parents they can't film their own kids.
- A real way to give. Each button goes to the charity's own donation page or a trusted giving platform that passes the money through.
Programs change, so give the charity's page a quick look before you donate. Know a group that belongs here? Tell us.