Promise of high-level hockey comes at a cost for prep school players at Circle K Classic

A hockey stick surrounded by pucks. (Pexels)

Calgary is set to host the Circle K Classic, welcoming some high-end talent and pricy prep schools for the annual U18 AAA hockey tournament.

For many Canadian kids who dream of playing hockey at a high level, attending a prep hockey school, like the Edge School in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League (CSSHL), is a path to get there.

Since 2013, the amount of NHL draft picks that attended CSSHL schools has risen dramatically.

Last year, the CSSHL had a record number of players selected in the NHL Entry Draft with four in the first round. In 2013 there were two, in 2019 seven, and in 2024, it had 25 players selected in total.

For parents like Doug Bartole, whose son Kyden plays for the Edge School’s U15 AAA team, it was an attractive option to help him pursue his goals.

“I think typically parents will do whatever they can and whatever is within their means,” said Bartole.

“We’re not a whole lot different in that mentality, so this is part of the decision-making process that came into play.”

'The whole package'

Edge charges annual tuition fees of $20,925, plus a four per cent annual contribution to the Edge School Foundation Endowment Fund.

There is also an annual $670 student activity fee, while team fees to play hockey range in price from $15,000 to $20,000.

“It's the whole package where you've got the high-performance gym that's sitting there coupled with access to doctors, physio, chiro, psychologists,” said Bartole.

“It’s one package that is in one place."

Last year, the school had three former players drafted in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, including Terik Parascak, who played four seasons at the school and was chosen in the first round.

Bartole felt it was the right decision after speaking with a parent who had one son get drafted and another earn a scholarship.

“We did our research,” said Bartole. “He was kind of my ultimate decision maker in there.

“He’s telling me that he just sees kids that go there and just develop better than most of the kids that stay in quadrant.”

'It's a lot of money'

However, not all parents are comfortable paying that much money. Ian Couture’s son Ethan plays for the U17 Calgary AAA Northstars.

“It’s a lot of money to go to these prep schools,” said Couture.

He pays just over $6,000 in fees for his son’s hockey, along with a few cash calls for road trips and tournaments.

“For every person it’s different, for us, the Calgary Northstars work, the quadrant hockey, there is a lot of talent there,” said Couture.

Craig Button, TSN’s director of scouting, says the cost of hockey has increased in many ways.

“From travel costs to ice time costs, and certainly that is going to keep certain players, certain kids out of the system, affordability becomes a significant part of chasing any dream,” said Button.

“There's going to be an economic cost.”

Facing off at the Circle K Classic

Among the teams playing in the Circle K Classic, some of the prep schools come with a high price tag.

Calgary International Hockey Academy has a listed annual tuition price of $26,500, and OHA Penticton is over $35,000.

Last year’s champion, Shattuck St. Mary’s, has a price tag of $62,000 USD plus other fees, while hockey is an additional $10,000.

The school had three former players selected in the first round of last year’s NHL Entry Draft, including Macklin Celebrini, who went first overall.

“There’s a real edge (to) the whole academy program,” said Button.

“They're getting the resources. There's no question that they're going to have an opportunity to have a greater opportunity to be able to go and build, develop, grow their game and become better, and that's just a simple fact.”

Prep schools like the Edge offer financial assistance. For Button, he understands the costs high-level players and parents are facing, but he wants the focus to be on overall participation.

“High-level hockey has to be an end game. I think participation has to be the first thing. If we don't have participation, you can forget about high end,” said Button.

“I think it's really important that we give kids the opportunity to participate and not think about high level, think about participation.”