Grassroots participation in Canadian hockey slowly beginning to rebound from pandemic, scandal

Jesse Wang is already thinking about tomorrow's playoff game.

"Kind of nervous," said the 10-year-old who plays in the Whitby Minor Hockey Association (WMHA). "We won last week's playoff. Now we're in this week's game. We have to win in order to get into the semi-finals."

His team was the best in the league midway through the regular season, Wang explains, but it eventually fell to third place and now its championship hopes teeter one game at a time.

Asked about his scoring prowess, Wang pauses — he has three goals this season, he thinks.

"Hockey builds good relationships," he says later when asked about his favourite part of the sport. "It's not just about you being good. It's about the whole team's progress and skills. If you are the only good one, [but] rest of the team is bad, you still can't win a game."

Wang started playing hockey two years ago through First Shift, a program run by the NHL and NHLPA which endeavours to remove barriers by providing equipment, ice time and skill development at affordable rates.

His sister Evelyn, 6, just began skating in a learn-to-play program called Hockey For All, which was developed by the WMHA and provided free head-to-toe equipment and on-ice sessions.

Both Wang siblings have taken a swift liking to hockey. They plan to continue playing hockey next season and their favourite team is the Edmonton Oilers thanks to Connor McDavid.

Beginning Wednesday, they'll be able to watch McDavid suit up for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal. The tournament should make an interesting test for Canada, which failed to medal at either of the past two world juniors and owns just one bronze to show for the past two Olympic men's tournaments.

A small, yet vital, element toward a