Hockey Alberta Player Pledge
Hockey Alberta’s Board of Directors has provided strategic direction for Hockey Alberta to establish and achieve four significant Objectives to provide new and improved opportunities for all participants to enjoy the sport of hockey. One of the four Objectives is a commitment to the hockey community – to nurture a positive hockey culture for all.
In September 2023, Hockey Alberta took a stance towards achieving a positive environment, by releasing our statement on Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), where we committed to removing all forms of discrimination and maltreatment from our sport.
To take the next step in the commitment to nurture a positive hockey culture for all, Hockey Alberta launched the Player Pledge during the 2024 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships presented by ATB.
The Player Pledge encourages participants on and off the ice to play and act with respect and to be inclusive. The Player Pledge reads:
We recognize that inclusive and respectful hockey starts with us. We pledge to:
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Be AWARE of the language we use and how it impacts others.
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ACKNOWLEDGE everyone’s differences regardless of the jersey they are wearing.
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COMPETE HARD while leading positive and RESPECTFUL interactions with others.
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Be an ALLY by contributing to safe spaces where everyone feels welcome.
Ready to Take the Pledge?
Make the commitment this season! Take the Player Pledge together as a team, or make your own commitment as an individual player.
Teams that register will receive a personalized Player Pledge to print and display, and individual players will receive a certificate recognizing their commitment.
TAKE THE PLEDGE AS A TEAM > | TAKE THE PLEDGE AS AN INDIVIDUAL >
Take the Pledge – Be the Change
The Hockey Alberta Player Pledge is a commitment to helping create a safer, more respectful and inclusive hockey community.
Teams across Alberta are encouraged to take the Pledge together and make its commitments part of how they show up for one another throughout the season.
Taking the Pledge isn’t about doing something once. It’s about making a team commitment and finding ways to put it into action throughout the season, every season.
Ready to take the Pledge as a team?
Step 1: Start the Conversation
Introduce the Player Pledge to your team and talk about what its commitments look like in your own hockey environment.
- Watch the Player Pledge video together to introduce the Pledge and start the conversation.
- Talk about what respect, inclusion, safety and belonging look like on your team.
- Ask players what they want teammates to be able to expect from one another.
- Use real hockey examples, such as:
- Supporting a teammate who’s having a tough day.
- Welcoming a new player or making sure everyone feels included.
- Competing hard without disrespecting an opponent or official
- Speaking up when someone is being treated unfairly.
- Give players an opportunity to share their own ideas about what makes a positive team environment.
The conversation doesn’t need to be complicated. The goal is for players to understand what they’re committing to and what the Pledge can look like within their own team.
Step 2: Make the Pledge Yours
Once your team has talked about the Player Pledge, make the commitment together.
Have each player read and personally commit to the Hockey Alberta Player Pledge.
Then, talk about how your team wants to bring that commitment to life. You might?
- Identify a few actions or behaviours your team wants to focus on.
- Create a team poster or banner that players can sign.
- Talk about what teammates can do when something doesn’t feel right.
- Decide how you’ll remind one another of the Pledge during the season.
- Revisit the Pledge after a difficult game, team challenge or other moment when its commitments are especially relevant.
There isn’t one right way to take the Pledge. What matters is that your team understands the commitment and makes it meaningful within your own environment.
Step 3: Share Your Commitment with Hockey Alberta
Once you’ve taken the Pledge, let Hockey Alberta know you’ve made the commitment.
As a Team
Complete the Team Pledge Form to register your team’s commitment with Hockey Alberta.
Once registered, Hockey Alberta can provide your team with a personalized Player Pledge featuring your team name that you can print and display in your dressing room, team space or wherever it will serve as a reminder throughout the season.
Let Hockey Alberta know that your team has taken the Player Pledge by completing the Team Pledge Form.
Once registered, Hockey Alberta can provide your team with a personalized Player Pledge featuring your team name that you can print and display in your dressing room, team space or wherever it will serve as a reminder throughout the season.
As an Individual Player
Players can also make their own commitment to the Player Pledge, either as part of a team taking the Pledge together or on their own.
Complete the Individual Player Pledge Form to recognize your personal commitment. Players who submit their Pledge will receive a certificate of completion.
TAKE THE PLEDGE AS AN INDIVIDUAL >
Keep the Pledge Going
Taking the Pledge is the starting point. Bring it back into team conversations throughout the season, recognize when players are living the Pledge, and use it as a reminder of the environment your team committed to creating.
We also want to celebrate teams that are bringing the Player Pledge to life and inspire others across Alberta.
Throughout the season, teams are encouraged to:
- Share a photo, video or story showing how your team is putting the Pledge into action.
- Show us your signed team Pledge, dressing room display, team activity or another way you’ve made the commitment your own.
- Share your Pledge on social media using #PlayerPledge and #ItStartsWithUs.
- Submit your team’s story to Hockey Alberta for an opportunity to be featured in our Special Recognition section or on Hockey Alberta’s social media channels.
The small things players and teams do every day help shape hockey culture. Keep the conversation going, keep finding ways to live the Pledge, and share what that looks like for your team.
It starts with us.
Shout-out to the teams across Alberta who’ve stepped up, taken the pledge, and shown their commitment to making hockey more inclusive—this space is all about celebrating them! As we say, ‘Inclusion isn’t a goal—it’s a team effort.’ Want to see your team featured here? Take the pledge and be part of the movement!
Teams Taking the Pledge
Each season, teams across Alberta make the Hockey Alberta Player Pledge and commit to helping create safer, more respectful and inclusive hockey environments.
We’re proud to recognize the teams that have taken the Pledge and made that commitment together.
2024/2025
- Chestermere Lakers U15-1
- Lloydminster Steelers U15AA Female
- Glenlake U18 NBC1
- TJ Sagoo Transport Leafs SPKAC U15AA
- Pro Paint Red Deer Chiefs U15 T2
- Yoga Nation Chiefs U15
2025/2026
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Hockey Alberta launched the Player Pledge during the 2024 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships presented by ATB.
As part of the Player Pledge, Hockey Alberta is asking teams competing in Provincials to commit to the Player Pledge by participating in a team building activity ahead of the tournament.
The team builder activity includes watching a short video followed by the coach leading the conversation about respect, inclusion and what it means to be an ally. It concludes with the ask for players to take the Player Pledge, as well as a team commitment throughout the tournament. To acknowledge the Player Pledge and commitment, each team participating in Provincials will be given a magnet to hang with the pledge and space to write their commitment for motivation throughout the tournament.
Taking the pledge is not mandatory, however, teams who take the Player Pledge and make a commitment can enter to win $500 towards their year-end party.
In addition, Hockey Alberta is also asking Provincial host committees to display a Player Pledge pop-up banner in the arena during the event.
2024/2025 Season
A new approach. We adjusted the wording of the pledge from a focus on “It Starts with ME” to a broader “It Starts With US” highlighting the responsibility of the collective team (the team, players, coaches and families) to embody, role model and put into daily practice the components of the pledge.
We wanted to challenge all teams across the province to take part in the pledge, encouraging teams to take initiative and implement the pledge with a social media toolkit and opportunities for special recognition.
Our U15 & U17 teams were also given the opportunity to expand their commitment to the pledge by participating in our brand-new Player Education Program at no COST.
2025/2026 Season
Building on “It Starts With US,” we continued to challenge teams across Alberta to make the Player Pledge part of their season and put its commitments into action both on and off the ice.
Teams were encouraged to start the conversation around respect, inclusion and safety, take the pledge together, and bring it to life through team activities, signed posters, stories and social media. Teams and individual players could also share their commitment with Hockey Alberta for opportunities for special recognition.
U15 and older teams were once again encouraged to build on their pledge commitment through the Online Player Education Program, developed in partnership with the Western Hockey League.
