Hockey Canada's 2025-26 Fee Jump, Explained in Plain English
(and how to slide the extra $11.68 per player into your budget without breaking a sweat)
1. The 60-second TL;DR
- New amount: $41.41 per participant, up from $29.73.
- Effective season: 2025-26 registrations.
- Biggest driver: Assessment fee rises to $10 after 20 years at $3.
- Insurance stays flat: Still $23.79 for liability/medical coverage.
- Quebec note: Their total is $39.00 because of a different structure.
Add the new number into your registration fees today.
2. What exactly changed?
| Component | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Δ | % Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment | $3.00 | $10.00 | +$7.00 | +233 % |
| Sport-Integrity | $2.94 | $4.50 | +$1.56 | +53 % |
| Registry | $3.00 | $3.12 | +$0.12 | +4 % |
| Insurance | $23.79 | $23.79 | 0 | 0 % |
| Total | $29.73 | $41.41 | +$11.68 | +39 % |
The hike is front-loaded on the Assessment line, which funds Hockey Canada's general operations, and on the Sport-Integrity levy that bankrolls the new independent SafeSport office.
3. Why the sudden increase?
Hockey Canada hasn't touched its assessment fee since 2003. Two decades of inflation and sliding registration numbers after COVID left a gap. In plain terms:
- Cost of safety compliance exploded – background checks, third-party investigations, and the sport-integrity hotline are now mandatory.
- Insurance premiums rose – although the player share stays flat this year, the back-end bill went up, eating into reserves.
- Federal funding pressure – Sport Canada has tied future grants to demonstrably self-funded SafeSport systems.
Bottom line: they had to shift fixed national costs back onto participants.
4. Quick impact math for a team
Scenario: 17-player U13 roster.
- Extra cost 17 × $11.68 = $198.56
- If your icetime costs $200/hr, the fee bump equals 1 fewer ice session for the season.
TeamBook is developing an Icetime Calculator tool for budgeting your icetime costs for the season.
5. How to budget the increase without hiking dues
| Lever | Effort | Typical $ saved |
|---|---|---|
| Eliminate one practice icetime | Low | $10-$15/player |
| Bulk-buy socks/jerseys with another team | Medium | $20-35/player |
| Switch to e-Transfers for team meals instead of coach cash-floats | Low | $10-15/player |
A single modest tweak usually covers the new $11.68 and then some.
6. Treasurer FAQ
When do we actually pay?
Most provincial branches collect the fee in mid-September sweeps based on your HCR roster count. Pad cash flow early so you're not scrambling.
Is the $41.41 subject to GST/HST?
No. Hockey Canada fees are exempt because they're remitted to a registered amateur‐sport NPO.
Does insurance still cover tournaments in the U.S.?
Yes—liability and medical remain worldwide so long as the event is sanctioned.
7. Next steps
- Update your working budget model with an additional $11.63/player under "Assessment Fees".
- Use TeamBook's Registration Budget Calculator (coming soon) to see the bottom-line effect.
- Communicate the change in your parent welcome email.
Need this automated?
TeamBook pulls the current Hockey Canada fee tables and adjusts every roster automatically—no manual math required. Try TeamBook with your team or association today.