The Grindstone Award Foundation provides funding for young female hockey players who have the passion to play but face financial challenges.
2025/26 Grant Applications will be open again next spring
We provide the following support:
Registration Grants
Thank you to our Grindstone donors and partners
The Grindstone Award Foundation provides grant funds to go towards hockey registration fees.
Equipment Grants
Courtesy of the NHLPA
Female players requiring equipment can apply to receive 1 of 25 full sets of equipment donated by the NHLPA Goals & Dreams Fund.
The Grindstone Steps
To be eligible for the registration and equipment grants, families must first meet specific financial criteria as per Revenue Canada’s Low-Income Cut-Offs (LICO) chart.
Players must be under the age of 19 at the time of application.
The applying player and/or their family must submit an application via this website.
Applications must include the most recent Notice of Assessment for all guardians of the child.
Important Notes
- Players and their families are able to apply for both the registration grant and the equipment grant.
- Recipients will be selected based on an objective and non-discriminatory basis. Recipients will be selected regardless of race, colour, religion or sexual orientation.
- Players can only receive the NHLPA Goals & Dreams equipment grant once every 3 seasons.
Applications for both grants open on May 1st each year and close on July 31st. The grants provided will go toward the following hockey season.
Applications will be assessed in August and you will be notified if your child will receive a grant prior to August 15th.
Applications submitted after July 31st will be assessed in September and you will be notified if your child will receive a grant prior to September 15th.
Registration grants will provide up to $500 to go toward paying player registration fees.
If selected to receive a registration grant, the player or family must provide the receipt of registration to Grindstone in order to receive the grant.
In the event that the family or player is unable to pay registration fees themselves, Grindstone will work directly with the player’s association to provide the grant to be applied to the child’s registration.
Other Notes
- Up to 3 siblings from the same family can be eligible to receive a grant in the same season.
- Players can receive a grant from Grindstone for multiple years, as long as they still meet the eligibility criteria.
- If selected for a grant, families must provide proof of registration no later than November 30th of that grant year.
Before You Apply
In order to apply, please have the following ready:
- Contact information (Name, email address, address, etc)
- Player information (Date of birth, association, team, etc)
- Proof of Financial Need (Notice of assessment for all guardians of the child)
- The applying player – we want to hear from them!
Need Help?
If you have questions about the application process, please contact [email protected]
Unable to fill out our online application form?
If you are unable to fill out our online application form, please download, fill out, and email a copy of your application along with your Notice of Assessment to [email protected], or contact us to arrange submission via mail.
