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As a New member of the forum and a Massachusetts hockey parent I have limited knowledge of the whole Minnesota youth hockey/AAA landscape. I understand that there may be a new AAA league, which is more similar to the rest of the country's (including Massachusetts') structure. All that being said, I'm wondering how the cost of hockey varies in Minnesota from other areas? In Massachusetts it seems that the higher you go up the level alphabet (A, AA, AAA, Elite) the more tuition rises. Some of the increase can be explained by more practices and games, but some just seems to be a money grab by clubs selling the dream.

Would anyone be willing to share the amount they spent on tuition last year (or what the tuition for next year is expected to be) and what that got them insofar as number of practices per week and games played? I'll start: for an Elite level ( AAA everywhere else but Massachusetts had so much grade inflation that they had to create a new level) Bantam Minor my tuition for last season was $4,300. My son's team played 55 games and had 3 full ice practices per week from September through February that they shared with the Bantam Major team. Travel costs and tournament fees were extra. This seems like a crazy amount to me and is primarily why I've moved him to another team for next season. How does this compare to Minnesota?

Winter season costs for 4-5 hockey events per week from mid Sept thru late Feb early march cost us about $1700 or so. Peewee A. 30ish games. Tourney costs for lodging were a couple of hundred each for 2 away tournaments.

MN Made cost $2500 (if memory is correct) and that was 40 or so games and 3-4 hockey events a week (80 minutes on the ice and 3 20 minute period games) from September thru last weekend. That included 4 tourneys (none out of town).

Hope that helps.

Bantam AA (compare to Bantam Major) Sept - Feb 4-5 hockey events a week $1950. Also 2 out of town tourneys at about $400 each.

Summer training between 2 private organizations and local HS.
$1720 guessing for a total of about 120 hockey events spread out from April-August. No tourneys on the books at this time... soooo, NO WEEKENDS!

From the replies so far, it looks like Minnesota hockey costs quite a bit less. I imagine that has something to do with the relative hockey outperformance by Minnesota vs Massachusetts hockey players since Herb Brooks's Miracle (when US team had just about same number of players from each state).

The reason it is so much cheaper is because of community owned rinks and community based associations. The results speak for themselves.

Massachusetts and other states would be wise to follow this model. Unfortunately they have strayed, and there are forces that are trying to push Minnesota away from this model. We've seen the results elsewhere. We shouldn't let that happen here.

Massachusetts actually has quite a few state owned rinks, but for the most part rinks are privately owned. Our biggest problem is too few rinks because real estate costs so much. Unfortunately, like dominos, that drives tuition up, which reduces access, eliminates players, limits competition and ultimately results in fewer top-notch players. The players that are serious find themselves with little choice if they want to get better; either play club or prep school hockey, both of which further limit the pool due to their cost.

IMO, as long as it has cheap ice, Minnesota hockey will be just fine, whatever structure it takes. Canada thrives with club hockey for the same reason Minnesota thrives--cheap ice that allows the best athletes, not just the financially able ones, to participate.

Of course, if MN heads down the AAA club path, that arms race will probably have the same effect it does elsewhere.