How much does youth hockey cost in Minnesota?

2026-2027 season estimates • Updated October 2026 • Built from published program fees and family reports

All-in season cost by level

This is the full season, not just registration. Ice, travel, tournaments, and equipment usually add up to more than the sign-up fee.

LevelEstimated 12U season cost
House
$2,000 – $4,600
C
B / B2
$2,800 – $5,000
BB
B1
$3,900 – $6,900
A
$4,000 – $7,400
AA
$5,300 – $10,400

How the levels work here

There is no full-season AAA row here because Minnesota has no full-season winter AAA. The only sanctioned Tier 1 is the fall-only CCM High Performance league. Prep programs like Shattuck-St. Mary's charge tuition, not a season fee. AA is the top of the community ladder. Junior Gold is the ages 15 to 18 (grades 10 to 12) community season. Its range is shown at that age and reflects a full season, not a short one.

Where the money goes

A typical 12U A season in Minnesota, about $5,700. Follows the age picked above.

Assumes 3 tournaments, each a 2 to 6 hour drive with 2 hotel nights, two parents and a sibling travelling.

  • Registration$1,72030%
  • Tournament travel$1,60028%
  • Equipment$60011%
  • Development$60011%
Estimated from published Minnesota program fees and family reports

House in Minnesota runs 43% below the national average.

How does your season compare?

Add your own costs from last season, any club, any level, to get a full breakdown to budget this season.

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Costs added by real families

Hidden costs

  • Minnesota's volunteer-coach model keeps House costs low, but families moving to AA often don't budget for the team assessment on top of registration: roughly $200-$800 per player, plus the AA level or roster fee many associations add (about $400 at Blaine and Andover, $700 at Minnetonka).
  • Tier 1 (CCM High Performance) is a fall-only add-on running August to early October: about $1,200-$1,600 in tryout and district fees, closer to $1,800-$3,800 all-in once travel is counted, and it does not replace community hockey.
  • Junior Gold is a full winter season in its own right rather than a small add-on: published association fees run about $800 to $2,375 (median around $1,645), and $1,600 to $3,100 all-in once team assessments are added.
  • Spring hockey runs $350-$700 for association skills sessions and $1,350-$2,000 in tuition for a spring or summer AAA tournament team, before travel.
  • Volunteer buyouts and mandatory fundraising are the easiest costs to miss: many associations hold a $300-$900 volunteer check or require $250-$650 of raffle and coupon sales.

Savings tips

  • Fee help in Minnesota is almost entirely local, so ask your registrar before assuming full price: most associations spread fees over 4-6 installments, and association aid commonly covers $200-$500 or up to half of registration.
  • Minnesota Hockey's statewide scholarship is a $1,500 college award rather than fee assistance, so it will not lower this season's bill.
  • Used-gear events are worth planning around: association swaps and the Minnesota Wild equipment drive run in June and again from late September, and are usually free rather than discounted.
  • Goalie pricing is a real lever, with half-price registration at Blaine and Spring Lake Park and free or heavily discounted goalie spots at several associations, and many associations make a first-year player free.
  • If your player is invited to Tier 1 CCM High Performance, confirm it's an additional fall-only commitment on top of community hockey, not a replacement, before budgeting.
See financial assistance for Minnesota families

Hockey in Minnesota

Your child's team will have a letter: House, C, B, A or AA. Find it in the table above. In Minnesota "AA" is the top of the community ladder, not a middle tier. It only exists at 12U and 14U. At 10U the top community level is A, and the girls' ladder tops out at A. There is no AAA row. Minnesota has no full-season winter AAA, the single biggest difference from other big hockey states. Junior Gold has its own rows. It is a Minnesota-specific boys category for roughly ages 15 to 18 (grades 10 to 12). It is used instead of the 16U/18U labels other states use. It is a late-starting full season, not a short one. Tryouts wait for high school cuts, then it runs December through March.

More about Minnesota hockey

Minnesota Hockey sanctions Tier 1 only as a fall league. That is CCM High Performance, August to early October, about 17 to 20 games. It finishes in time for players to return to their association or high school team. Minnesota Hockey names Shattuck-St. Mary's as the only in-season Tier 1 program it recognizes. Families who want the AAA that Michigan, Illinois or Ontario offer generally leave the state. Or they attend a prep or academy program like Shattuck-St. Mary's or NorthStar Christian Academy. Or they add spring and summer AAA on top of the community season. Community associations like Edina, Eden Prairie, Blaine and Andover follow a consistent model. Minnesota sets its age classifications by school-year cutoff (June 1 to May 31), not the birth year other states use. So players move up with their classmates.

Minnesota registered 59,457 players in 2024-25. That makes it the largest single-state USA Hockey affiliate in the country.

Hockey programs in Minnesota

Season cost estimates and family-reported costs for 228 programs.

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Youth hockey cost 2026: $3,000 to $23,100 a season, by state

State-by-state cost breakdown for 2026

Hockey cost by level: House $3,000 to AAA $23,100 (2026)

Detailed level-by-level cost comparison

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