England Ice Hockey are committed to providing opportunities for young people to get involved in hockey and removing as many barriers to participation as possible.

In collaboration with Puck Stop and Bauer, we are excited to have been given the opportunity to relaunch the Netminder Development Programme for the 2024/25 season – with Round 1 applications now open.

This is an exciting opportunity for junior players to loan Bauer netminder kit at no cost, allowing them to try the netminder position before investing in their own equipment.

Bauer have supplied five sets of full protective equipment to Puck Stop – everything except more personal items such as helmets, skates, sticks and jocks.

The equipment is ready for individuals to start the application process and begin the loan period.

Essential criteria

• Player has limited or no prior netminder experience
• Player is a current member of a junior club
• Player does not have access to own netminder kit
• Player is playing ice hockey in England or Wales

Application process

Round 1 applications will be open from July 26 – August 23.

Successful applicants will receive the kit for a three-month period, from September 4 until November 27.

Click here to fill out the application form.

Supporting the next generation

We are delighted to have received some incredible feedback following last season’s Netminder Development Programme.

Take a look at some of the feedback from parents and guardians of young players from Billingham Junior Stars and Whitley Bay Beacons.

Dylan, Billingham Junior Stars

Dylan really wanted to be a netminder from first joining ‘Learn Hockey’, but we were always told there was a high cost for equipment which put us off. Being able to loan the equipment was a great opportunity for Dylan to experience being a netminder without the added cost in case he didn’t enjoy it. Dylan did enjoy it and didn’t want to give his loan kit back! We purchased kit for him and he has come on so much in such a short space of time. We loaned the equipment in October 2023 after finishing ‘Learn Hockey’ in the May. By February 2024, he had been put forward by his coaches to trial for the Power of 11 England programme! We never dreamed he would make it that far in such a short space of time. He got through two rounds but never made the final team, but just to get that far was an amazing achievement and an experience that he wouldn’t have had if he hadn’t of loaned the kit. Since then, Dylan has played for his academy team then played up for the u12’s team and played up once again to play for the U14s team! We are unbelievably proud of him and the hard work he has put in, but ultimately it’s down to loaning the netminder kit, otherwise these opportunities would never have been available to him. This programme has made an 11 year old boy very happy to be living his dream.

Sophie, Whitley Bay Beacons

This scheme is absolutely amazing to help kids start out or get a taste for being a netminder. Sophie was thrilled to be picked to try the kit out, and it also helped us with knowing the cost to start out as a netminder. Sophie smiles every time she’s between the posts.

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