30 Hockey Team Fundraising Ideas That Work On and Off the Ice (2026)
30 Hockey Team Fundraising Ideas That Work On and Off the Ice (2026)
The best hockey team fundraising ideas are used-gear sales, skate-a-thons, restaurant nights, spirit wear, and local sponsorships. Whichever you pick, it needs to cover what your team needs: ice time, tournament fees, equipment, or the bus ride to the next away game.
New York Life surveyed parents in 2025 and found 29% were fundraising specifically to keep their kids in sports.
Hockey parents know that number only too well. Ice time alone eats a budget before you even get to registration fees, new gear, tournament entries, or the gas money for away games.
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When the team budget falls short, you need a fundraiser that can cover the gap before the bill is due without wearing out your volunteers. A youth team might sell hot chocolate rinkside, while a travel hockey team trying to fund an away tournament may turn to sponsorships.
In this guide, we’ll walk through 30 hockey team fundraising ideas for youth, high-school, girls’, adult, and travel clubs. They range from rinkside sales and product campaigns to events, sponsorships, and online giving.
Once you choose one, nonprofit clubs and booster organizations with an EIN can use PayBee to collect ticket revenue and online donations, so the same five parents are not chasing every payment.
Now, let's help you find your team's fit.
Best Hockey Club Fundraising Methods
Let's begin with a number that caught our eye: the average US sports family spent $1,016 on their child's primary sport in 2024, up 46% from 2019.
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So, it's no wonder hockey club fundraising matters so much, with your team treasurer left to find the right method for the season, your bill, and your deadline.
Every method asks something different of your hockey team, whether that's more time, more cash up front, or more volunteers on hand.
Here's how each one stacks up:
1. Online and Virtual Fundraising
Online and virtual fundraising can bring in grandparents who live out of state and the neighbor who never makes it to a game, though someone still needs to check that every payment has come through.
2. Product Sales
Product sales can mean preorders, a bulk delivery at the rink, or items shipped straight to each buyer, with the workload depending on who handles the money, stock, and handover.
3. Sponsorships
Local businesses can support your team season after season, but first you have to win them over, agree on the recognition they’ll receive, and deliver every bit of it.
4. Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding works best when you ask for a clear amount toward a clear cost, giving supporters something specific to share with friends beyond the usual group of hockey parents.
5. In-Person Events
In-person events run far more smoothly when the venue is booked and every job is sorted before the doors open, leaving your team ready for the crowd instead of scrambling around it.
Online donations and ticket sales both need to end up in the same place, no matter which fundraiser you pick. If you want to see how PayBee handles that side of the work and how we can help, schedule a demo with us today.
Best Hockey Team Fundraising Ideas
Knowing how fundraising works is one thing, but watching it play out is where things get interesting.
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Here’s some figures that grabbed our attention:
Osseo Maple Grove Hockey Association (a 1,116-player Minnesota program) brought in:
- $95,752 from concessions
- $47,200 from candy sales, and
- $46,542 from sponsorships
All in 2025-26 alone.
Your numbers might look a little different, but the mix matters: every hockey season brings its own costs, and the volunteers behind it deserve ideas as varied as bake sales, bottle drives, and a few unexpected favorites.
So, which one could work for your club? Here’s our full list of fundraising ideas for hockey teams …. starting with a rinkside favorite.
1. Chuck-a-Puck or Puck Toss
For our first idea, fans grab numbered foam pucks and take their best shot at a target painted right on the ice during intermission. Whoever lands closest takes the prize.
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Texas Stars-affiliated charities have pulled in $1,500 to $2,000 a game doing this, depending on attendance and how the take gets split with the arena.
Start with the rink, since they'll need to sign off on the prize and the sales cutoff before anyone sells a puck. From there, agree on the money split and cleanup, and check your local rules so it's one less thing to think about once fans start aiming.
2. Hold a 50/50 at Hockey Games
A 50/50 raffle doesn't need much setup: tickets go out during the game, and half the pot goes home with whoever's holding the winning number. The other half goes to the team.
That extra buzz can carry through the second intermission, with volunteers selling around the arena while one adult keeps the payments and ticket numbers straight. State and local raffle rules vary, so confirming your club’s eligibility and getting the rink’s approval beforehand leaves less to sort out when the winning number is called.
Related Read: What should 50/50 tickets cost? See how we break down pricing and bundle options.
3. Skate-a-Thon or Hockey-a-Thon
Do your players light up when someone starts counting laps from the boards?
- Once the ice is booked, players skate laps in helmets and gloves, sticks stay off the ice, while parents keep count from rinkside
- Pledges can be flat or per lap
- Either way, the total gets added up once the skating stops
For a larger skate-a-thon, PayBee can keep registration, pledges, donations, and participant tracking in one place
4. Coaches vs. Players or Alumni Scrimmage
If former players still come back to watch your high-school team, an alumni scrimmage gives them a reason to pull on their jerseys again. If your roster has not produced enough alumni yet, a coaches-versus-players game brings the same familiar rivalry onto the ice.
Before the puck drops, your club checks player eligibility and insurance coverage, then balances the sides. Player fees, spectator admission, and donations cover rink time and game costs first, with the remainder going back to your season.
5. Concession Stand at Games
Some hockey fundraiser ideas add another event to your week, but a concession stand works around games on your schedule. Before game night, you confirm your sales arrangement with the rink, check local food rules, price a short menu, stock the stand, and assign volunteers.
Do you remember the concession income from our Minnesota example? Well, this is where it begins, with your crew serving coffee and snacks, taking payments, restocking between periods, and closing once the crowd heads home.
6. Family Skate Night
Could a family skate night bring in money while welcoming learn-to-play families, siblings, and grandparents to the rink?
During our research, we found RWD Yetis Youth Hockey putting a number on it, listing open skate among its current fundraisers at $4,000 per year.
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That example shows what open skate can contribute, but your own numbers depend on the arena’s ice time, ticket prices, skate rentals, and capacity. When doors open, volunteers handle check-in and rentals, while the no-sticks, no-pucks session gives newcomers room to find their feet.
If you’re selling tickets in advance for your family skate, we can handle the online sales, email each ticket straight to your guests, and help your volunteers scan them at the rink door.
If that sounds useful for your club, take a look at our event ticketing page to see how we can help.
7. Used Hockey Equipment Sale or Gear Swap
You know the cycle: skates pinch, pads stop fitting, and last season’s gear starts filling the garage.
Your player may have outgrown it, but another hockey family could be glad to find it, and your club can keep part or all of the price.
Then comes the awkward question: what is a scuffed pair of Bauer skates or a CCM stick worth, especially when another hockey family is buying it?
For a reality check, we recommend you give SidelineSwap’s Value Guide a look - it shows you what similar items sold for recently, giving you a sensible starting point before the sale.
8. Skills Clinic or Youth Hockey Camp
Younger players in your youth league already spend plenty of time watching the older skaters and coaches, so giving them a chance to learn from those familiar faces can be an easy sell.
That interest makes a paid clinic a natural fit for youth hockey fundraising, with small groups rotating through skating, puck-handling, shooting, and goalie stations.
From there, the setup stays fairly straightforward:
- Book the ice
- Collect a signed waiver from each family
- Confirm your insurance through USA Hockey before registration opens
Those registration fees cover rink rental and clinic costs first, and whatever is left goes back into your team’s season.
9. Hockey Squares Pool
Ever watched a room go quiet right before the score gets checked against the grid? That's the pull of a hockey squares fundraiser, with fans putting a few dollars behind their guess and waiting to see how the game plays out.
Note:
Squares pools aren't always treated the same as raffles under state gaming law, and your rink may have its own rules too. Before taking paid entries, check with the venue and your gaming regulator, or consider a free-entry version with sponsor-funded prizes.
10. Gift Card Fundraising for Sports Teams
What if a family’s next coffee, grocery shop, or home-improvement purchase could earn money for the team?
That’s how gift card fundraising for sports teams can work with a platform called RaiseRight.
Here, families buy gift cards at face value for brands they already use, and the program earns a percentage from each purchase.
That could mean Starbucks, Walmart, Amazon, or Home Depot, so nobody has to buy something unusual to take part.
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Across a whole club, those everyday purchases can add up: Aberdeen Hockey Association earned more than $22,000 through RaiseRight in 2025.
11. Cookie Dough, Popcorn, Candles, or Pasta Sale
Would your hockey families rather buy something useful than make another straight donation? Cookie dough, popcorn, candles, and pasta give them that option, but the handover can become a headache if every order arrives at once.
Before choosing a supplier, find out whether each order ships to the buyer or arrives in one bulk delivery for the team. Home shipping avoids the sorting, while frozen cookie dough means finding enough freezer space until every family collects its tubs.
12. Discount or Savings Card
Your supporters are already shopping locally, so those regular trips might as well put something back into the team.
A handful of local businesses agreeing to a deal is really all it takes, once you’ve settled the discount terms with each one and chosen a fair price for the card.
13. Spirit Wear and Team Gear
Some hockey fundraiser ideas end when the event does, but spirit wear can stay on sale throughout the season. Parents order the hoodies, hats, or jackets they want, and the club receives a share of each sale.
With SquadLocker, the team chooses the products and uploads its logo, while the company decorates and ships each order to the buyer. What seals the deal on this idea for us is that volunteers do not have to collect sizes, sort boxes, or hand out bags at the rink.
14. Charity or Exhibition Hockey Game
Have you got a nearby team your players would love another crack at? Ask them to be your opponent, book the ice, and turn it into an exhibition with spectator admission at the door.
Whether yours is a high-school team or an adult team, the math stays simple: ticket money covers rink fees first, and what's left goes toward your season. Give supporters a matchup they care about, and you've given them a reason to show up.
15. Golf Tournament or Outing
Some hockey parents would happily trade the rink for a golf course for a day, especially if they can play alongside their friends. Sell spots in groups of four, then bring local businesses on board to sponsor a hole each.
As registrations roll in, keep an eye on what you're spending on the course and the prizes, since that's what each entry fee needs to cover first. Once those costs are handled, whatever's left goes straight into your team's season.
Have you never run a golf tournament before? Or maybe you're dreading doing it all by hand again this year? See how PayBee can help you make your golf day easier to run.
16. Pancake Breakfast or Team Dinner
Volunteers and a low-cost venue give your club the makings of a pancake breakfast or team dinner. Advance tickets give you a head count, and food costs plus venue fees tell you whether the numbers make sense for your club.
Hockey families already understand the appeal: good food, friendly faces, and players helping out. That mix gives supporters a straightforward way to back your team and enjoy time together.
Related Read: Could a pancake or waffle bar suit your club? We’ve gathered more fundraising dinner ideas to help you choose.
17. Pub Night, Bowling Night, or Night at the Races
Pub nights, bowling nights, and race nights work best when the event feels like something your supporters would attend anyway. For parents, that might mean a pub night, while adult-league hockey players may be more drawn to bowling or the races.
The money comes from ticket sales, with the venue agreement setting the costs and conditions first. Age restrictions also matter where alcohol or betting is involved, especially when families are part of your club.
18. Restaurant Percentage Night
Why does a restaurant night appeal to busy teams? Nobody has to sell a thing, and supporters eat somewhere they would already go.
How it works:
A participating restaurant sets aside a slow night and hands back a share of the eligible sales your group brings in, so your only real job is picking the date and getting the word out during your promotion window.
Almost no volunteer workload is needed here, just a flyer, a good crowd, and tasty dinners doing the rest.
19. Car Wash
A car wash has a familiar appeal: neighbors bring the dirt, while your volunteers bring the elbow grease.
Requirements:
A visible site, the owner’s permission and reliable water access, with local runoff rules shaping your supplies.
What we like about this one is your players also get time with the neighbors supporting their season, keeping the fundraiser friendly and personal.
20. Hockey Trivia Night
Your rink regulars likely already have friendly debates about stats and old games in the stands, so a trivia night simply gives that energy somewhere to go.
Teams pay to enter, hockey questions do the rest, and the room fills up fast once word gets around that hockey knowledge pride's on the line, not solely prizes.
Your venue doesn't need to be fancy. The rink lobby or a nearby restaurant works fine, and a few solid prizes (jerseys and sticks etc) will keep people competitive till the last round.
21. Silent or Live Auction
As you continue to compare hockey team fundraising ideas, why not consider what a little friendly bidding could bring to your club?
(Paybee’s own pic)
A useful place to begin is with hockey families, alumni, and local businesses, who may have a signed stick, game tickets, or a skating lesson they are happy to donate.
Silent auctions suit supporters who like time to look things over, while a live auction lets the whole room get behind one favorite lot.
Need a hand with the ins and outs of silent auctions? See how we can help here.
22. Raffle, Prize Basket, or Signed-Stick Draw
Ideally, your raffle should start with one question:
What would your supporters want to win?
Once you have that answer, ask a sponsor for something worth stopping for, like a signed jersey, a Warrior or True stick, or a prize basket packed with hockey gear.
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And that prize choice can make a real difference to how many people enter.
One real-world example we found for you came from the Pittsburgh Penguins, where 1,314 people entered a 2025 raffle for a game-worn Bryan Rust jersey - showing that, yes, if you get the right prize bait, there’s money to be made.
23. Hockey-Card Bingo
When researching this guide for you we also discovered that River Falls Youth Hockey Association runs bingo every Monday night and pulls in $15,000 a year for the club, proof that a regular bingo night can carry real weight for a hockey program.
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To put your own twist on it, we recommend you swap the usual numbers on your cards for hockey tropes like "goalie fight," "puck over glass," or "ref review".
Related Read: Planning a bingo night? See our guide covering cards, promotion, volunteers, and local rules.
24. Bake Sale, Coffee, and Donuts
Remember earlier, when we mentioned how coffee and snacks give your concession stand something to sell between periods?
Well, a bake sale uses that same rinkside appetite, but families donate the treats and your volunteers sell them during one tournament or community event.
Real world example:
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A 2026 bake sale and donations by SCVHA Blackhawks raised nearly $2,000 for goalie development.
25. Bottle or Can Drive
As we’ve seen, plenty of hockey fundraiser ideas begin with something new to sell, but a bottle drive starts with the empties already piling up at home.
What we appreciate about this idea is that nobody has to buy anything new, and every refundable can or bottle puts a little money toward your season.
The only catch with this one is whether bottles carry a refund where you live, because (as of August 2026) only ten US states run deposit programs.
26. Online Crowdfunding Campaign
We’ve focused mostly on physical fundraising ideas for hockey teams so far, but taking your campaign online changes the game. Out-of-state grandparents, hockey alumni, and distant friends can support you without ever setting foot inside the rink.
On a GoFundMe page, your overall goal, your own deadline, and what donations cover all sit together. Once players and parents share the link, people in the local bleachers and relatives across the country can get behind the same goal and help fund your season.
27. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Staying with online ideas, peer-to-peer fundraising puts your players at the center, with each reaching relatives and friends who already know them. That gives every family a part to play instead of leaving one team page to speak for everyone.
Snap! Raise lets players contact supporters by email or text, while 99Pledges gives each player a pledge page and tracks progress.
Whichever setup suits your club, parents can help with the sharing.
PayBee can also give each player or team a page and bring everyone’s progress together on one leaderboard, so the whole roster can watch the same team total grow.
28. Donation Button on the Team Website
For our final online idea, placing a donation button on your team website requires zero event planning. Since the link can stay live all season, supporters have somewhere to chip in between your bigger fundraising pushes.
(Paybee pic)
Behind the button, a payment form takes the donation and sends the donor a receipt. That leaves your club with an ongoing way to accept support between events, without another date to organize or another product to sell.
29. Local Business Sponsorship Packages
Have you ever asked a business to sponsor your team, then realized “sponsor us” could mean almost anything?
A short list of sponsor levels gives you something concrete to offer, from a rink-board or banner placement to a higher package that includes the company logo on jerseys, your team page, or the event page for your fundraiser.
Your first message can stay simple:
“We’re raising money for tournament travel this season and can offer your logo on our rink banner and team page, so could we send you our sponsor options?”
Once a business agrees, price any printing or production costs into the package and get every promised placement up by the agreed date.
30. Corporate Matching Gifts
For our final idea, we’re looking at a perk some parents, coaches, and former players may already have through work. If your club qualifies, their employer may match a personal donation and turn one gift into two.
Each company sets its own rules and deadline, and PayBee’s matching report shows which donors named an employer at checkout and lets your club send them a reminder.
Supporters can then check whether they qualify and submit the required form without adding another event, sale, or volunteer shift to the season.
How to Put Hockey Fundraiser Ideas Into Action
Once you have your idea, the next question is whether your volunteers can run it without chasing loose ends. Even the best fundraising ideas for hockey teams need a few basics agreed before money starts coming in:
- The hockey costs to cover and amount you hope to raise
- A date around games, practices, school events, and rink time
- Venue, supply, prize, permit, and payment costs
- Volunteers for promotion, sales, money handling, setup, and cleanup
- Approval from the rink, league, venue, or local authority where required
- One shared record, giving your treasurer every total and receipt
- A follow-up note thanking supporters and telling them what their money paid for
Which Fundraising Ideas for Hockey Teams Suit Your Club?
So, which ones belong on your shortlist? Your roster, supporters, and biggest expense help narrow it down:
- Planning youth hockey fundraising? Family skates, clinics, and gear sales bring families along.
- Have a high-school crowd? Raffles, concessions, and alumni games give that crowd a way to help.
- Running a girls’ team? Clinics, spirit wear, sponsorships, and grants can all work, with player age and local support helping you choose between them.
- Fundraising in an adult league? Pub nights, bowling, and charity games keep things social.
- Planning travel hockey fundraising? Sponsorships and online campaigns can raise money for tournament fees, hotel stays, and transportation.
Can Hockey Teams Apply for Grants?
Yes, but we recommend that you start with the bill you need help paying because grant rules vary.
The USA Hockey Foundation supports programs for girls, disabled players, and communities underrepresented in hockey, but its general grants do not cover an individual team’s jerseys, ice time, equipment, or travel.
NHL clubs, state affiliates, and regional hockey bodies can set different rules, with some grants covering registration, equipment, or ice time. Location, nonprofit status, eligible costs, and deadlines all need checking before any grant money goes into your budget.
What Is the Best Fundraising Platform for Hockey Teams?
Hockey Team Fundraising Ideas: Common FAQs
How Much Can a Hockey Team Realistically Raise?
The numbers vary a lot by fundraiser.
Hockey team fundraising ideas like Chuck-a-Puck brought in $1,500 to $2,000 a night in the earlier example, and RWD Yetis raised $4,000 over a full year running open skate. Club-wide programs go well beyond both.
Turnout, pricing, expenses, and how often you run the fundraiser all move that number.
Which Fundraising Ideas for Hockey Teams Need the Fewest Volunteers?
Restaurant nights are usually among the easiest fundraising ideas for hockey teams to run with a small crew, since your club books and promotes the date while restaurant staff handle the meal and payments.
For an ongoing option, digital gift cards are similarly low-work hockey fundraiser ideas because families order online, leaving your club to promote the program and track earnings.
Neither option produces a predictable total, since restaurant-night earnings depend on eligible sales and gift-card earnings depend on how often families buy.
How Can Teams Pay for Ice Time and Other Hockey Costs?
Each bill can have a matching fundraiser: concessions or 50/50s for ice rental, sponsorships for tournament fees and travel, and used-gear sales for equipment. That gives every hockey cost a clear target and lets supporters see where their money goes.
Ready to Fund Your Hockey Season?
As we’ve shown you, from Chuck-a-Puck to corporate matching gifts, there are plenty of hockey team fundraising ideas for you to pick from. Whether yours lasts one night or all season, it can raise money and let people celebrate the club they love.
When one catches your eye, we’d love to hear your plans and show you around PayBee.
Book a demo with us today, and - together - let's get your next fundraiser moving the puck instead of chasing it.
Sources:
1 - https://www.newyorklife.com/newsroom/parents-strained-by-youth-sports-costs
3 - https://cdn3.sportngin.com/attachments/document/43a5-3590096/OMGHA_Financial_Update_-_Jun_2026.pdf
4 - https://www.texasstars.com/foundation/chuck-a-puck
5 - https://www.rwdhockey.com/about/donate-towards-our-new-rink/176472
6 - https://www.raiseright.com/about-us/impact-stories/aberdeen-hockey-fundraising-success
7 - https://www.dollarenergy.org/news/penguins-raffle-recap-2025/
8 - https://tourism.rfchamber.com/events/details/bingo-for-the-river-falls-youth-hockey-association-12-14-2026-19996
9 - https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/64a6-3523963/January_2026_Blackhawks_Newsletter.pdf.pdf
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Jason DoneganJason is a seasoned technical writer and analyst. He loves all things niche websites, SEO, and digital marketing. In his free time, he is learning something new about this industry or sifting through domains for his next project.
