Maple Leafs, Justin Bieber’s drew house launching free GTA ball hockey league

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Justin Bieber’s drew house brand are launching a new ball hockey league in the Greater Toronto Area this June.

The House of Hockey, which is presented by sponsor Tim Hortons, will be free for players and is designed to break accessibility barriers in hockey.

“Maple Leafs fans have a deep passion for the game. As a club, we are committed to sharing that passion with the next generation of fans through initiatives like our annual Next Gen games and now House of Hockey,” Brendan Shanahan, Toronto Maple Leafs president and alternate governor, said in a statement.

“For many of us growing up, our introduction into the sport of hockey was simply a stick, a tennis ball and a pair of running shoes. Alongside Justin and drew house, we look forward to empowering the future of hockey and taking steps to ensure youths that want to play have an opportunity to do so.”

Leafs’ latest collaboration with Bieber

The league’s first season will take place over eight weeks this summer and be hosted at a number of sites in Toronto and across the GTA. The Maple Leafs, drew house, and other organizations will donate equipment, jerseys, sticks and merchandise, as well as provide skills coaches to teach players basic fundamentals.

Great day for it ????@TimHortons x @drewhouse pic.twitter.com/k6i94hd2dZ

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 28, 2023

The plan to launch the House of Hockey league came together after a study of 8,000 youth in Ontario conducted by the MLSE Foundation found that income level and lack of resources were preventing 60 per cent of participants from playing sports.

Bieber, who grew up in Stratford, Ont., is a well-known Maple Leafs fan and good friends with a number of the current players. This partnership is the second one between Bieber and the team after they launched a “Next Gen” reversible jersey last season.

“I’m so happy to continue our partnership with the Maple Leafs, and my goal is to help kids everywhere have access to the sport of hockey,” Bieber said in a statement.

More information about the House of Hockey will be revealed during Wednesday’s Next Gen game against the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena.