Our Values

“Everyone has a place on our national team.”

Canada is more diverse than ever—and also more fragmented. A national street hockey event counters these challenges by being radically welcoming:

• No skill barriers, no expensive gear, no tryouts
• All ages, genders, cultures, newcomers, Indigenous communities
• Adapted formats for ability or disability, language, and comfort level

Street hockey works because it is hockey while also saying: You don’t need permission or pedigree to belong here.

“Cost and geography should never decide who gets to play.”

Hockey continues to be the greatest game in the world. Yet it has also become expensive and exclusionary. Street hockey flips that narrative:

• Ultra-low cost
• Local streets, parking lots, neighbourhoods and community spaces
• Equipment libraries, shared gear, simple rules

Street hockey quietly challenges inequality without preaching.

Why?
With affordability and rural/remote access under strain, Canadians want fairness that’s practical, not abstract, and Play On! delivers it.

“Connection matters more than the score.”

This isn’t about elite development or trophies. It’s about:

• Neighbours meeting neighbours
• Intergenerational play (kids, parents, elders)
• Volunteering, mentorship, and shared responsibility

Winning is fun—but showing up together is the real point.

Why?
Loneliness and disconnection are rising. Canadians are hungry for low-pressure ways to rebuild local community.

“Compete better by treating people best.”

Respect shows up in:

• How players talk to each other
• How conflict is handled within a game, and
• How differences (culture, opinion, ability) are treated

This value models the healthiest way to manage disagreement—on the street and beyond.

Why?
Canada is polarized. A shared code of respect—learned through universal and shared play— is both refreshing and desperately needed.

“Many stories. One game.”

Street hockey is culturally iconic, but this value reframes it:

• Hockey as a meeting place, not a gatekeeper
• Space for Indigenous leadership and storytelling
• New Canadians shaping what “Canadian” looks like now

It’s tradition and evolution.

Why?
Canadians want unity without erasure. This program offers a common thread without forcing sameness.