Free Take a Shot at Hockey Program Has Brought More Than 850 First-Time Michigan Players onto the Ice in Its Inaugural Season
Learn to Play Hockey Participation Surges at Black Bear Michigan Arenas
Sunrise, FL, May 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Black Bear Sports Group, one of the nation’s premier operators of ice arenas and youth hockey leagues, today announced continued progress in expanding access to youth hockey across its Michigan arenas, where free and low-cost entry-level programming continues to welcome new players to the sport during the 2025-26 season.
From July 2025 through February 2026, Black Bear’s Michigan arenas introduced more than 850 first-time players to hockey through the company’s free Take a Shot at Hockey (TASH) program, which is in its inaugural year. Over the same stretch, year-over-year participation in Learn to Play Hockey at Black Bear’s East Lansing arena climbed more than 200%.
Click here to read the full article.