We’ve all relied heavily on our resilience and perseverance to get us through tough times. To recover from these challenges and truly heal, we need to rebuild connection by immersing ourselves and our youth in the joy of play, sharing in the creation of positive new memories.
Play builds human connection when we collaborate, laugh and celebrate together. The bonds and skills forged through play can last a lifetime. It’s time to shift focus from surviving, to thriving, and Play On!
Historically rooted in the Indigenous culture of the Mi’kmaq First Nation, hockey went on to become Canada’s national winter sport. Now, we’re taking the game off the ice and into the summer sunshine for Play On!, Canada’s street hockey tournament.
The tournament includes a series of street festivals in 9 cities across the country. It’s open to all ages and experience levels and no skating skills are required - just grab your sneakers and a stick and you’re ready to play.
If you’re in it to win it, we’re thrilled to announce that for the first time ever, Play On! winners and finalists will qualify for the new National Championships to be held in the fall of 2023.
Whether you’re a returning street hockey champion or a curious newbie who wants to try it for the first time, there are division options for everyone. The tournament is for players of all ages and skill levels so you can register yourself, your child or your teen to participate. There are also lots of ways to get involved if you don’t want to play but still want to be a part of the event.
You can register to be a player, team captain or referee, show your support by lending a hand as a volunteer or just dig out your pom poms and rally sticks to cheer on your favourite team as a spectator.
We want as many Canadians as possible to have the opportunity to participate, so we’re playing in 9 cities across the country from July to September, 2022. Grab your family, friends and neighbours to join in on the fun at the Play On! event closest to you.
Play On! is a non-profit organization run by a Board of Directors that’s passionate about bringing street hockey, and its many benefits, to everyone. With a diverse range of experience organizing large-scale, mass participation sporting events, our Directors are uniquely qualified to plan and host an accessible tournament that unites and inspires.
Our first event took place in Halifax in 2003. Since then, we’ve held another 170 events that included 400,000 players and over 2 million spectators, volunteers and game officials. We even hold the Guinness World Record for largest street hockey event!
Of course, we couldn’t do any of this without funding support from our federal, provincial and municipal government partners. A big thanks also goes out to our media sponsors, Sportsnet and the CBC, for helping us spread the word so you’ll come out and Play On! with us.
We’ve all experienced some intense challenges over the past couple years. Now it’s time to bring our friends and our communities back together to connect, to heal and to celebrate.
Whether you’re playing the game or cheering from the stands, team sports motivate us to care for ourselves and one another. They’re a proven catalyst for change that can have a positive impact on individual lives and shared neighbourhoods. They lift our spirits, providing a much-needed boost for our physical and mental health. Let’s empower ourselves and one another and Play On! together.
