Bruins Academy Learn to Play Has Made Lasting Impact

BOSTON - To say that the Bruins Academy Learn to Play program has made an impact is an understatement.

When Boston Bruins Director of Youth Hockey Mike Dargin started what was then known as the "Little Bruins" program back in 2014, in an effort to try and grow the sport at the grass roots level, there were only around 300 participants in just six rinks across Massachusetts.

Almost 10 years later, the program is now one of the most diverse and instrumental youth hockey programs in the National Hockey League with 3,336 participants across 75 rinks in 2022.

"With the program entering its 10th season, we've had over 25,000 kids in the program and it's just only a matter of time until we see some of these first kids hopefully in the NHL or playing high level, competitive hockey," said Dargin. "So, that'll be really exciting to start tracking the hockey paths of these players."

Bruins Academy Learn to Play, which is held in partnership with Pure Hockey, provides the participants - ages 5-9 -with a full set of equipment to keep (valued at $550 retail), a pair of skates, professional and personalized fitting, and four weeks of on-ice instruction led by certified coaches. And with so much growth over the past 10 years, thanks in large part to the buy in from the local community, Bruins Academy Learn to Play has built a platform that will only allow it to improve.

In collaboration with Learn to Play, the Alumni Give Back program has been a crucial partner in promoting hockey across New England, as Boston Bruins alumni and even some Olympic gold medalists from the United States Women's Hockey Team are among those to regularly assist with the on-ice clinics.

"The Alumni Give Back program is great. We have Rick Middleton, Andrew Raycroft, and Andrew Alberts who are out there making over 75 appearances each year," said Dargin. "So, they are out there at the local rinks, they are teaching kids how to hold a stick, how to stand up and really bring the Boston Bruins brand across New England.

"In addition to the Bruins alumni, we have Kali Flanagan and Megan Keller, who our new female ambassadors who are out there doing the same thing."

The girls' side of the Learn to Play Program started in 2019 with only five rinks getting involved - and that was something that Boston Bruins Youth Hockey Coordinator Lizzy Viola wanted to help change.

"Growing up in Buffalo, New York, there were no girls' programs whatsoever, really," she said. "You just start out playing with the boys. So, I think being able to create something where young girls can step into the hockey world and feel comfortable and see their peers and other girls in ponytails…it's awesome."

Since its start in 2019, the girls' Learn to Play program has expanded to become the largest in the NHL. Of the 3,336 total participants this past season, 1,215 of them were girls, which is an impressive 36% participation rate.

"We had one of the highest retention rates in the NHL," said Viola. "We had about 3,300 players participate in our Learn to Play program this year and about 1,300 of those were girls. It's a little early to see how many girls will be playing next year because programs tend to have sign ups in the Fall, but from what we've heard girls are sticking around and continuing to play."

In 2022-23, the Bruins Academy Learn to Play program put on over 365 total events taking up 358 hours of ice time. Going into its 10th year, Viola and Dargin are looking to bring the program to even greater heights as they continue to try to combat the biggest obstacle in attracting new players: the expensive nature of the game.

"One of the perks of our Learn to Play program is with a registration fee, you get four ice sessions and then you get a full set of equipment," said Viola. "So, for many families, especially those that are new to hockey, it's a great way to come in. We have these fitting events at Pure Hockey and their staff really helps us out and sizes these kids.

"They get on eye level with them, make them feel comfortable, welcome them and just to be able to have a set of skates, a helmet, gloves, and all that as such a discounted rate is huge and I think it's a big step to getting kids into hockey and staying in hockey. You're not just growing the game in Massachusetts, but across the country."

To find out more information about the Bruins Academy Learn to Play Program, please contact Video: Raycroft stops by Pure Hockey or visit Video: Raycroft stops by Pure Hockey.