Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/07/2026
9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Location
Participating Ice Arenas Twin Cities, MN
Description
On the fence about making the investment to put your kid in hockey? I understand. I’ve been there myself. And I highly recommend you give the sport a try for free at a Try Hockey For Free Day event right here in the Twin Cities. The program gives kids (ages 4-9) a shot at experiencing the basics of hockey without financial commitment. It’s strictly for fun! Plus, coaches will be on hand to offer tips and provide equipment.
USA Hockey’s 2026 Try Hockey For Free Day
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: Boys and girls ages 4-9 are invited to these programs.
WHAT IS IS: A sample day for youth to try out hockey as an organized sport for FREE. No previous experience or skills necessary. Register for as many days as you like.
WHERE: Youth hockey associations and rinks around the state (and around the country).
HOW TO REGISTER: Find a registration link here.
2026 Try Hockey for Free Day schedule
- March 7 Eden Prairie Community Center | 9-10am
- March 7 South St Paul Arena | 12-1pm
- March 7 Brooklyn Park Ice Arena | 6-7pm
Helpful tips
- If they have them, kids should bring their own helmet (bike helmets work) and skates, but they’ll have both available. You are encouraged to bring your own hockey equipment if you have it, also. But again, they’ll have loaners available.
- Dress like you will be playing outdoors. It is cold on the ice and in the spectator areas. Participants should wear:
- A loose-fitting pair of sweatpants or snow pants
- A pair of gloves (they don’t need to be hockey gloves- mittens are fine)
- A jacket or sweater appropriate for the cold. We visited on a relatively warm day, and the indoor rink was actually colder than outdoors.
Find a participating Twin Cities rink
Participating locations change from year to year, but you can type in your zip code and find the closest arena here. All locations will have limited equipment available for use.
Practice hockey and ice skating free all winter
Who knows? This might be the beginning of a lifelong love of hockey. It certainly helps us get through our long Minnesota winters! Once your kids are hooked, find an outdoor rink near you here: Skate the Twin Cities: Where To Find Free Outdoor Ice Rinks. (Most of these open mid-December and close mid-February and are weather-dependent.)
Where to find hockey skates in the Twin Cities
Joy’s family loves to use the Minneapolis parks for ice skating because they offer free loaner skates for her kids ever-growing feet. Gianna outfits her kids at Play It Again Sports each year. If you are looking to buy new, purchasing through the link below (anything, not just the skates we feature) will help to keep FFTC going.
If you miss these opportunities, watch for the next date. We usually see one in early November and another in February or March each season.
RETURN TO FAMILY FUN CALENDAR
Please Note: This calendar is personally curated by FamilyFunTwinCities.com to include only events we believe would be of interest to families. We attempt to include the information we find most essential as parents. We make every effort to keep up with changes. However, we have hundreds of calendar entries to manage and sometimes miss event modifications or make mistakes. We are not employed by or connected to the venues for the events we share and they will sometimes change without our knowledge. We recommend calling or checking the venue’s website to verify the information we have shared.
No. 102128