Our Story
Taking the lead to grow hockey as a force for good
“What got you here won’t get you there.” – Marshall Goldsmith
The Big Idea
It was a classic good news/bad news situation. The Task Force put together by Hockey Nova Scotia to improve Diversity & Inclusion had been a big success. They’d had massive participation from across the hockey community, who not only identified critical issues that needed to be addressed in our hockey systems and culture–they also shared dozens of ideas about how to fix things.
But Executive Director Amy Walsh and the team leading the initiative knew it’d be nearly impossible to execute those ideas from within the system–people had been trying for decades with little success. If they wanted to remove deeply entrenched barriers to the game and create open access for everyone–from players and coaches to zamboni drivers and analysts– they’d need a radically new approach to making change.
They’d need to find a way to look beyond one-time quick fixes and tackle the root cause of issues. Engage diverse people from across the hockey world, not just those representing the system. Think outside the box to generate and test lots of new ideas fast. Shift from talking about problems to building solutions.
They’d need to do something nobody had ever done before–start an independent innovation lab dedicated to the future of hockey.
It would be a huge challenge. There was no playbook on how to create system change in sport. But hockey was in trouble, and they were out of time. So they gathered some allies, scraped up some funding, and launched the Future of Hockey Lab (FHL) in 2021.
Making it happen
Today, the FHL is the only innovation lab in the world dedicated to growing the game by creating open access to Hockey for all.
How? By bringing changemakers from across the Hockey community together with innovation experts and leading Hockey brands to discover, test, and build new ways to change Hockey’s culture and systems and make the game more accessible and inclusive. Solutions like:
- Our Open Ice project to make the use of Canada’s rinks more efficient and equitable.
- Our Behind the Bench coaching network was developed by and for female coaches to help them get and stay in the game.
- Our Innovation Sprint program that helps hockey brands grow.
And we’re just getting started.
Through our research with community, sports, and corporate leaders, we’ve identified dozens more game-changing opportunities to grow hockey participation by driving innovation in areas like finance, fans, development pathways, and artificial ice.
Our team has decades of expertise in sport, innovation, and equity, backed by partnerships with significant Hockey associations, brands, and community organizations. And our one-of-a-kind approach fuses proven innovation methods with inclusive Canadian values.
We all know that the fastest way to grow Hockey for good is to figure out how to open it up to new audiences. That’s what we do.
We help partners and allies get beyond research and talk to build real-world solutions to complex Hockey challenges so everyone can reach the top of their game.
Want to know more? See How We Work. Or read our Changemaker Stories below.
How We Work
A radical new approach to growing hockey for good.
“When you change how you think about the future, you change how you act in the present.” Reanna Browne
- We’re an innovation lab. In many ways, we work just like a science lab–we identify problems to solve, do research, run experiments, and find solutions.
Why use a lab approach to grow hockey
The challenges and opportunities in the game–like access to ice time and development pathways for women–are too complex to solve with traditional, linear methods. The roots of such issues often go back a long way and take a long time to resolve.
A lab approach focuses on digging deep to identify the real cause of an issue to create lasting change. It lets us see challenges from a different perspective, untangle complexity, discover new opportunities, and test ideas for solutions quickly–solutions like the Open Ice technology platform and Behind the Bench coaching accelerator.
How we change hockey systems and culture, for good
Our unique process uses an adapted version of an innovation design sprint developed by Google that enables us to create scalable solutions for system change. Known as the FHL PowerPlay, it flows as an iterative cycle through three phases, shown below.
We use the PowerPlay two ways: for standalone sprints hosted by the lab and for customized collaborations with like-minded brands to tackle complex problems related to growing the game for good.
What makes our lab approach work
STRATEGY: Instead of creating short-term fixes like ad hoc development programs, we identify and resolve long-standing systemic barriers to access and inclusion.
PROCESS: Instead of following traditional, linear problem-solving methods that often fail to shift the way we think and act, we use proven innovation tools and processes to imagine and design the future we want.
PEOPLE: Instead of relying only on insiders, we unite innovation experts with diverse changemakers from communities, brands, leagues, and organizations across the hockey ecosystem. Our partners and allies include Hockey Canada, the NHL and PWHL, Bauer, Scotiabank, universities and community associations, along with a powerhouse Board of Mentors and Board of Directors.
SAFETY: As a national non-profit committed to innovation, we offer a risk-free, independent, creative space to explore, test, and build radical new ways for everyone to reach the top of their game.
The future potential of hockey to do good in our world is limitless. We’re the only innovation lab in the world working to make it happen. Join us.
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