Selling the Dream takes a hard, honest look at how minor hockey in Canada has changed under the weight of big dreams and bigger costs. Once a simple joy for kids and families, the game has increasingly turned into a business, with childhood play replaced by relentless competition.
Drawing on extensive experience within hockey at many levels, the authors examine how the pursuit of an NHL career can dominate family life, strain finances, and transform minor-hockey fees and equipment into so-called "investments." Along the way, they reveal a booming industry of camps, programs, and entrepreneurs ready to profit from parents’ hopes.
Often surprising and always informative, Selling the Dream helps parents understand what they are really signing up for when they enter the elite hockey pipeline. It defends not only the spirit of Canada’s national game, but also the value of childhood free from unrealistic expectations.
Inside this book
- How minor hockey shifted from play to high-stakes competition
- The real costs—financial and emotional—of chasing NHL dreams
- Ways parents can rethink priorities around kids’ sports
- A call to reclaim hockey’s roots in fun, community, and growth
