Women’s Para Hockey of Canada

What Women’s Para Hockey of Canada does

Women's Para Hockey of Canada (WPHC) / Parahockey féminin du Canada is a private Canadian nonprofit founded in 2006 (per company history; 2005 in some firmographic sources), headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, with a volunteer board of directors and a small staff of 1-10. The organization's mission is to enable Canadian girls and women+ with disabilities to participate in para ice hockey from grassroots development through elite international competition. WPHC operates the Women's National Para Hockey Team, which competed at the inaugural 2025 Women's Para Ice Hockey World Championships in Dolný Kubín, Slovakia, and advocates for inclusion in the 2030 Paralympic Winter Games. Programming spans try-it sessions, open development camps, regional and national selection camps, an annual CAN/USA Series, and a coaching/skills video library.

The organization is funded primarily through donations and corporate sponsorships, anchored by the Sticks In Campaign launched in December 2022 with a $1 million corporate fundraising target to fully fund the national team. Secondary revenue streams include merchandise sales (via Merchee.ca), membership fees ($5 annual voting; free non-voting), and third-party hosted fundraisers such as the KineMedics "Leveling the Ice" event. Core partners include Canadian Tire (founding Sticks In sponsor), Bauer (equipment), Rogers (All IN media partnership), Hockey Canada Foundation, Gatorade, and Teck Resources. The athlete pipeline currently spans six provinces, and event infrastructure leverages venues in Thorold, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

WPHC operates as a single integrated program rather than a modular product portfolio. It is the only Canadian national body dedicated specifically to women's para ice hockey, with continuous coaching leadership since 2014 (Head Coach Tara Chisholm, Assistant Coach Derek Whitson). The organization's competitive moat rests on its monopoly over the women's national team pathway, its first-mover position ahead of any sanctioned women's para hockey Paralympic inclusion, and its relationships with Hockey Canada and the IPC. As a registered Canadian nonprofit, it is not structured for investor returns; the relevant financial lens is sustainability of operations and growth of program capacity.

Name

Women’s Para Hockey of Canada

Legal name

Women's Para Hockey of Canada / Parahockey féminin du Canada

Website

https://wphcanada.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual and corporate donations through CanadaHelps platform. Major campaigns include Sticks In 2.0 campaign raising $1 million from corporate sponsors to fully fund the Women's National Para Hockey Team.
2. Merchandise Sales: Team merchandise sold through Merchee.ca online store including apparel and accessories. Proceeds directly support team travel, training, and equipment.
3. Membership Fees: Voting membership at $5.00 annually entitling members to vote at AGM and receive notices of member meetings. Non-voting membership also available.
4. Event Fundraisers: Third-party fundraising events hosted by partners (e.g., KineMedics 'Leveling the Ice' event) with proceeds supporting WPHC programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women's Para Hockey of Canada operates the national team program for women and girls+ in para ice hockey, including the Team Canada women's national team, grassroots development camps, and skills training sessions. The organization provides eligible athletes with physical disabilities access to competitive and developmental programming, and its elite pipeline currently feeds the 2030 women's world championship bid effort. It also runs a membership program (paid voting and free non-voting) and generates revenue through branded merchandise and individual/corporate donations.

Product overview

Women's Para Hockey of Canada operates as a unified national sports organization offering a comprehensive para hockey ecosystem. The core program spans from grassroots development (try-it sessions, regional camps, mentorship programs) to elite competition through Team Canada. Supporting offerings include video-based coaching resources, virtual development sessions, voting and non-voting memberships, and merchandise sales. The organization functions as a single integrated program rather than a modular platform, with all offerings serving the mission of enabling participation and excellence in para hockey for girls and women+ with disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Para Hockey Program The flagship national women's para ice hockey program serving as the umbrella for Team Canada selection, athlete development, and competitive play; aimed at girls, women, and women+ athletes with physical disabilities across Canada since 2006.
• Team Canada Women's National Para Hockey Team The competitive women's national para hockey team that has appeared in 14 successive national championships and serves as the elite pathway for athletes with physical disabilities; currently the platform for the 2030 women's world championship bid.
• Grassroots Development Programs Foundational skill-building programming designed to introduce newcomers, particularly girls and women+ with disabilities, to para ice hockey and feed the national-team pipeline.
• Para Ice Hockey Skills Video Resources Open-access online library of para ice hockey skills videos maintained by the program to support athlete skill development outside of in-person camps and sessions.
• Voting Membership Paid annual membership priced at $5/year that confers voting rights within the organization, targeting supporters and stakeholders who want governance participation.
• Non-Voting Membership Free membership tier that allows supporters to join the organization without paying dues and without voting rights, supporting community engagement and outreach.
• Summer Skills with Team Canada Virtual Development Session Virtual summer skills development session connecting athletes with Team Canada coaching staff for off-ice technical development during the off-season.
• Team Canada Merchandise Store Online storefront hosted on Merchee.ca selling branded Team Canada apparel and accessories, used as a fundraising and awareness channel in addition to donations and sponsorships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Silver medal at 2023 IPC Women's Para Ice Hockey World Challenge in Green Bay, WI, USA
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KineMedicsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 May 2026Hosting 'Leveling the Ice' fundraising event on May 31, 2026 dedicated to empowering athletes and advancing opportunities in para hockey.
• BauercoreOthersEquipment sponsor providing hockey equipment support to WPHC athletes. Bauer logo appears on partners page.
• RogerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRogers All IN initiative partnership providing nationwide coverage across television, radio, and social media channels through Rogers Sports & Media's extensive platforms. Campaign runs June 13 to August 4.
• Canadian Basketball Association (CBA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting WPHC mission.
• GatorademinorOthersBeverage sponsor for WPHC athletes.
• Hockey CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizational partner supporting women's para hockey program development and coordination of national team activities.
• SportAbilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated Para-Ice Hockey Coaching Resource guide with WPHC coaches Tara Chisholm and Derek Whitson as major content contributors. Funded by ViaSport and Government of British Columbia.
• BrockTVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides free livestreaming of WPHC games through YouTube channel.
• ParticipACTIONminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipACTION Community Challenge presented by Novo Nordisk, funded by Government of Canada and Novo Nordisk. WPHC virtual development session part of this challenge.
• Canada Games ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class facility in Thorold, Ontario hosting major WPHC events including CAN/USA Series and selection camps.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Paralympic Committee: The CPC is the national body that oversees Canada's Paralympic Movement and supported WPHC's early funding. WPHC depends on CPC advocacy for 2030 Paralympic inclusion, making the CPC a critical upstream institutional peer.
• International Paralympic Committee: The IPC governs the Paralympic Games and decides which sports are included. WPHC's 2030 Paralympic bid and the governance of the Women's World Championships (run under IPC) make the IPC a directly relevant institutional peer and gatekeeper.
• Hockey Canada: Hockey Canada is the national governing body for all ice hockey in Canada, including the para hockey program (men's national sledge team). WPHC is a sub-niche within the broader para hockey umbrella Hockey Canada administers, making it a direct strategic and funding counterpart.
• Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association: CWSA is the national multisport governing body for wheelchair sport in Canada, including wheelchair rugby and basketball. Comparable nonprofit operating model and shared donor/grant pool with WPHC.

Others

• Jumpstart (Canadian Tire): Jumpstart is Canadian Tire's charity that funds sport access for kids in financial need. Jumpstart and WPHC share Canadian Tire as a major funder and address overlapping inclusive-sport missions, making Jumpstart a relevant ecosystem peer rather than a competitor.
• Easter Seals Canada: Easter Seals Canada is a national disability charity providing financial support for adaptive equipment and sport participation. Shares the same donor base and many corporate partners with WPHC, and funds some athletes competing in para hockey.
• Wheelchair Basketball Canada: Wheelchair Basketball Canada operates a similar national-team-plus-grassroots model for an adaptive sport, with comparable funding sources (corporate sponsors, government grants, donations). Useful peer for benchmarking nonprofit adaptive-sport operating models in Canada.
• Special Olympics Canada: Special Olympics Canada runs a national grassroots-to-Team Canada adaptive sport program funded via donations, corporate sponsorships, and government grants. Different athlete population (intellectual disability) but operationally very similar to WPHC, and a direct competitor for the same disability-inclusion sponsor dollars.

Direct peers

• USA Hockey Women's National Para Hockey Team: USA Hockey fields the US women's national para ice hockey team that competes head-to-head with WPHC in the CAN/USA Series, Frontier Series, and World Championships. Same sport, same gender-specific niche, same international competition circuit — the closest possible comparable.

Regional players

• BC Wheelchair Sports Association: BC Wheelchair Sports is a provincial adaptive-sport organization that co-funds coaching resources with WPHC (e.g., SportAbility/ViaSport). It serves as the western Canadian grassroots pipeline and a regional counterpart within WPHC's national structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BrockTVMedia
• Instagraminstagram.com/wphcanada
• Xx.com/cshwt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-s-sledge-hockey-of-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women’s Para Hockey of Canada