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As we wrap up another hockey season over here, our wonderful team manager came up with some creative ice hockey coach gifts to give our 4 team coaches. I am always looking for new hockey coach gift ideas to keep handy for future seasons. Take a look at the great ideas I found below.
In what seems like the blink of an eye, we just finished up ice hockey season number 3 for Landon. Well, technically season number 4 if we count his NHL Rookie learn to play season. (Which feels like it was just yesterday.) I do love being a hockey mom and learn more and more each season.
This year Landon played his first year of travel ice hockey which proved to be a learning experience for both him and his parents. He had more time on the ice than ever before, between practices, skills clinics and games. As a first year 10U player, he also had to learn how to play on a full sheet of ice (the younger age group plays on a half sheet). He had to learn various hockey rules like offsides and icing. It was a LOT to grasp!
Most Youth Coaches are Volunteers
Somewhere in the thick of all of this were his coaches. His team had one head coach and three assistant coaches. All of the coaches were dads of players on the team and ALL of them were there as VOLUNTEERS. Yes, that’s right – they volunteered all of that time to teach our kids how to play. That’s a pretty incredible dedication! (Not to mention MANY early morning games to drive to!)
We made it through our first season and Landon is still totally hooked on hockey. Tryouts for next year are in just a couple of weeks and he has been practicing his puck handling and shooting almost every day after school!
I am so grateful for the amazing coaches that he has had so far in his hockey journey. They have been wonderful humans who emphasized good sportsmanship as much as they did game skill.
Ice Hockey Coach Gift Ideas
Take a look at some of the unique gift ideas I found for ice hockey coach gifts. These gifts would work great for the holiday season or the end of a season. There are gifts at varying price points and any of them would be fun way to show your appreciation.
Most of the gifts below can be given by the whole team or by an individual hockey player.
Some of the shops included in this gift guide offer free shipping, but keep in mind that for the most part, they are small businesses. It is not as easy for them to offer free or discounted shipping as it is for big box stores!
Personalized Team Jersey
Check with your hockey club or the rink shop to see if it might be possible to order a custom team jersey with the coach’s name on the back. In our club, jerseys are only ordered before the upcoming season begins, so this one might take a bit of pre-planning. I know that many hockey coaches wear their Bauer team jackets around the rink, and I’d bet that not many of them have their own team jersey!
Funny Hockey Coach Shirt or Sweatshirt
Shirts and sweatshirts with funny messaging always make great gifts. Check out some of the funny coach apparel online. In our Etsy shop, shoppers love this hockey coach tshirt and hockey coach sweatshirt!
Signed Team Picture
Choose one of your favorite pictures of the entire hockey team. Have it printed (I’d recommend 8×10 or possibly even 11×14 inches). Let each player sign his or her name on the photo and then put it in a frame. For signing the picture, we like to use black Sharpies or silver or gold metallic sharpie markers.
Personalized Hockey Jersey Cookies
Hire a local cookie baker (or look online) and have her make replica hockey jersey cookies. Put the coach’s last name across the top of the jersey. We had cookies made up last year at the end of the season and they were such a huge hit with our son’s coaches and teammates! The cookies featured the team’s colors and player’s name and numbers.
Hockey Stick Drink Caddy/Carrier
Okay, this drink carrier is pretty amazing. Constructed from wood and old hockey sticks, your coach can tote around his beverages in style! This Custom Hockey 6-Pack Beer Carrier is made from salvaged sticks and can be personalized with a name on the side. You can also add a bottle opener if you’d like!
Hockey Coach Survival Kit Zipper Pouch
Oh! We absolutely LOVE giving these hockey coach zipper pouches as coach gifts! They are perfect for coach’s to use to store all sorts of little items. Then the bag can be tossed in their gear bags or totes. Some ideas to fill in the bags: wax, tape, lace tighteners, cash, swiss army knife, etc.
Personalized Stainless Steel Laser Engraved Drink Tumblers
These stainless steel personalized tumblers and travel mugs are a great gift for anyone who tends to bring a drink to the rink! They will keep cold drinks chilly and hot drinks HOT. You can choose from a variety of tumbler brands, sizes and colors!
Personalized Coach Pint Glasses
These glasses are the perfect vessel for the coach’s favorite cold brew! You can have custom pint glasses personalized with the coach’s name and the names of every team member. This gift is definitely a fun keepsake to remember the players and season.
Hockey Stick Wall Hook
There are so many neat gifts that crafters have come up with that use repurposed hockey sticks. They are so creative! I love the look of this hockey stick wall hook. What a great spot to hang up keys, jackets, and more.
Hockey Stick BBQ Tools
Here is another awesome way to upcycle hockey sticks! If your team’s coach loves to grill up a scrumptious BBQ meal, get him or her a set of hockey stick bbq tools. They look so cool and talk about a conversation starter!
Hockey Themed Personalized Family Portrait
If your coach is from a hockey loving family, this personalized hockey family portrait on canvas could make a fantastic gift. You can customize the picture with jersey colors, different hairstyles and colors and more. You can even add family pets!
Tickets to an NHL Game
If you happen to live within driving distance of an NHL team’s rink, tickets to a game would be a nice gift for your hockey coach. If you don’t live close to a venue (or aren’t looking for such an expensive gift), consider tickets to a AA or even college level game.
I hope that these hockey coach gift ideas help you decide what to give! Of course, if all else fails, you can’t go wrong with a gift card! See if you can find out a favorite store or restaurant where the coach loves to go and grab a gift card from there. Gift cards are always great gift ideas.
No matter what you decide on for the perfect gift idea, the coach is sure to appreciate the gesture! No one volunteers to coach a team for the gifts, but they are of course always a kind gesture.
Let us know if you have any good suggestions for ice hockey coach gifts that we haven’t mentioned! If you are a team coach, what are the best gifts YOU have received? Feel free to add them to the comments!
