Coyotes’ ‘Back to the Pack’ Program Breaking Ice Hockey Barriers

The Arizona Coyotes hockey community is taking recycling to a whole new level.

The Coyotes’ hockey development department recently kicked off its ‘Back to the Pack’ equipment upcycling program, collecting used gear from players around The Valley and making it available to those looking to try hockey for the first time. 

The initiative benefits all ages – from the Coyotes’ Little Howlers program all the way up to the Growlers adult learn-to-play program, and provided they have the proper sizes, can be leveraged by those in need for a simple 30-dollar deposit.

To date, the program has been a roaring success, as the team has collected 75 bags’ worth of hockey gear. 

On the flip side, the program offers those who have old sets of equipment a way to donate their equipment without taking it to a second-hand store, knowing it will be cleaned, restored, and redistributed to someone else looking to try out the sport.

The Coyotes are currently collecting equipment in two locations: AZ Ice Peoria and AZ Ice Gilbert. Those interested in either donating or requesting gear can learn more here.

“We have a need for gear in Arizona,” said Zack Savage, the Coyotes’ Director of Hockey Development. “If it’s just going to sit in a garage or go in a landfill, our goal is to give it back.”

The program helps solve multiple problems in the area. First, according to Savage, roughly 750 children join the Little Howlers program every year, with a retention rate of roughly 25 percent. Previously, there was no place for the remaining 75 percent to dispose of their gear if there’s no interest in playing the sports again. Also, a lot of gear is outgrown rather quickly, again, leaving nowhere for that gear to go.

Now, those who need it most can benefit from it through the Back to the Pack initiative. 

It’s not just for kids, either. To date, the Coyotes have received a large number of adult gear, which aligns perfectly with the Growlers learn to play program. Typically participants need to pay $350, and receive a $200 to Behind the Mask, leaving a sizeable charge for the rest of the equipment for first-time players.

Now, through the upcycling program, those in need of gear can receive a full set – including a brand new helmet – for just a 30 dollar deposit.

Tyler Millar, the Coyotes’ Coordinator of Hockey Development DEI, said even if the team doesn’t currently have the required size, those requesting it can be placed on a wait list. Once it comes in, they’ll receive it.

“We’re wanting to do this in order create the sustainability of Hockey in Arizona,” Millar said. “It can get very expensive to play the sport, so we are able to give the equipment out for that $30 deposit, and then they can keep it.”

When the used equipment is received, the team puts it through an extensive cleaning and restoration process that ensures it’s both sterile and safe. It first travels through an original wash with detergent before leveraging a cleaning mechanism called o-zone cleaner.

That process involves a gas that cycles through the equipment, which kills 99.999 percent of bacteria. It takes about 20 minutes to complete, disinfects 3,000 times faster than bleach, and increases the life of the linen by 40 percent compared to traditional methods.

On top of it all, each cycle saves 20 gallons of water per load, something even more valuable in the desert.

The department is about to begin its first cleaning cycle on all of the gear received, so the equipment should be available for use in the near future.

The program accepts everything, and has received everything from shin pads to full sets of goalie gear. The only thing not accepted through the initiative are used helmets – due to strict guidelines to ensure player safety – so those who borrow equipment are also issued a brand new helmet along with it.

Given that the cheapest learn-to-play kit runs between 800-900 dollars, the adult gear has become just as valuable to the program as kids’ gear. 

“The adult gear will go to the Growlers program,” Savage said. “Having some of this adult gear, we’ll be able to supplement those who can’t afford to try it, and the best part about adult gear is they won’t grow out of it.”

The program is still in its infancy in The Valley, but it’s already making a clear impact for those who need it most.

“I work with a lot of untraditional hockey markets, and some markets are very underrepresented,” Millar said. “They don’t have the same access to hockey as others because the price is so expensive. 

“It just makes hockey for everyone at the end of the day. That’s what we live by, is making hockey available for everyone, and it gives people the opportunity to try something they may not have done before.”