Quick answer
Better Hockey exists because the biggest gap in player development does not happen on the ice — it happens off it. Ice time is scarce and expensive. Most players skate two or three times a week at most. Better Hockey, a Swedish brand serving players across Europe, was built to fill that gap: own-brand, direct-to-player training gear that is good enough for NHL ambassadors and affordable enough for every player who wants to improve.
Key takeaways
- The development gap between rink sessions is where games are won and lost. Better Hockey closes that gap with off-ice training gear.
- An own-brand, direct model means no middlemen — quality stays high, prices stay accessible, and the core of the range is Made in Europe.
- Better Hockey is a Swedish brand rooted in Swedish hockey culture: Swedish design, tested to the highest durability standards, with European quality you can feel.
- Many well-known NHL ambassadors, including Swedish pros, use Better Hockey products — evidence that the gear performs at the highest level.
- Four values drive every product decision: quality, passion, accessibility, and trust.
The problem: ice time is scarce and expensive
Most players I train get on the ice two, maybe three times a week. Rink fees, travel, scheduling conflicts — the barriers add up fast. A one-hour ice slot costs more than most families want to spend every single day, and competitive ice time is booked months in advance. For a player who wants to improve steadily, that rhythm is simply not enough.
The result is a development gap. Players who do the work between rink sessions — in the garden, the garage, the basement — arrive at practice already sharper. Players who only train on ice stagnate. This is not a secret. Every coach knows it. Every elite development program is built around it.
That gap is exactly what Better Hockey was designed to address.
The solution: own-brand, direct to the player
When Better Hockey set out to build world-class off-ice training equipment, the mission came with a condition: the gear had to be genuinely accessible. Not a premium product priced out of reach for most families. Not a budget product that compromises on quality. Both at once.
The way to achieve that is straightforward: own the brand, own the product development, cut out the middlemen. Better Hockey designs its own line — the Extreme Hockey range covers stickhandling trainers (€41.46), shooting pads (from €49.76), flooring tiles (10-pack €116.16), slide boards (€165.96), and more. The passers (all except the Triangle Passer), rebounders, stickhandling trainers, flooring tiles and shooting targets in that range are Made in Europe. Large purchasing volumes keep unit costs down. Selling directly keeps margins honest. The player pays a fair price for a product that actually works.
That model is not a compromise. It is the whole point.
Coach Erik's tip: The first thing I check when a player joins my program is what they are doing between sessions. If the answer is nothing, we fix that before anything else. A proper stickhandling trainer (€41.46) in the garden or garage, used daily for 20 minutes, will do more for puck control than one extra ice session per week.
If you want to see how that philosophy translates into specific product decisions, the article on how Better Hockey products are designed goes into the detail.
Swedish roots and European quality
Better Hockey is headquartered in Sweden — a country that has produced world-class hockey talent for decades and takes player development seriously at every level. That culture is embedded in how Better Hockey thinks about training. Swedish hockey has long understood that technical skill, not just athleticism, separates good players from great ones. Off-ice repetition is a core part of that tradition.
That heritage shows up in the product itself: Swedish design, tested to the highest durability standards, and European quality you notice in everyday use. A concrete example is the Pro Shooting Targets (€41.46), which were developed in collaboration with the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation. That is how Swedish hockey know-how ends up in the gear — not as a logo, but in the details of how the product is built and used.
For players and parents in Europe choosing training gear, that is a straightforward signal: a Swedish brand, backed by Swedish hockey experience, selling directly to you.
NHL ambassadors, including Swedish pros
The most direct proof that the gear performs is who uses it. Better Hockey products are used by many well-known NHL ambassadors, including Swedish pros. These are players who have options. They use the equipment because it works.
The word here matters: ambassadors. These are not Better Hockey staff or coaches. They are elite players who have chosen to associate with the brand because the products fit how they train. That distinction is important — it means the validation comes from the field, not from within the company.
Most players I train respond to that fact differently than you might expect. It is not the fame that lands — it is the implication. If the gear is good enough for players at that level, it will hold up to a youth player going hard in the garden or garage every day. That is the reassurance that matters.
For a fuller picture of the background behind Better Hockey, see the article on the story behind Better Hockey.
The four values, in practice
Better Hockey's four values are not wall art. They show up in product decisions, pricing, and everyday details. The table below breaks down what each value actually means at the product level.
| Value | What it means | How it shows in our products | Why it matters to players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | Premium performance without inflated retail markup | Durable surfaces on shooting pads, stable tile interlocking systems, slide board resistance that holds up over thousands of reps | The gear works the same in year two as it did on day one |
| Passion | Products designed by people who actually train and play hockey | Feature decisions driven by real training needs, not feature lists — the Super Skills Kit (€439.86) was built around what coaches actually use in development sessions | Nothing in the product range exists just to fill a catalogue slot |
| Accessibility | Own-brand model, large purchasing volumes, competitive pricing | Direct-to-player pricing across the full product range, no retail premium | A youth player's family can afford the same quality of gear that pros train with |
| Trust | Used by many well-known NHL ambassadors, including Swedish pros; a Swedish brand with European quality; Pro Shooting Targets developed in collaboration with the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation | Products put through real hockey demands at every level of the game | Buying decision backed by proof, not promises |
Common training barriers we designed around
Building accessible gear meant understanding exactly what stops players from training off the ice. These are the barriers Better Hockey products were designed to remove:
- Cost of ice time. The average player cannot afford to skate every day. A shooting pad (€49.76) and stickhandling trainer (€41.46) at home cost less than a single month of daily ice time — and can be used every day for years.
- Space constraints. Most players do not have a dedicated training area. The flooring tile system starts at a 10-pack (€116.16, about 2 m²) that fits a garage corner, a shed or a terrace. Players can start small and expand as their training routine grows.
- Lack of structure between sessions. Without the right equipment, off-ice training defaults to generic fitness work. A stickhandling trainer forces puck-specific repetitions — the kind of work that directly transfers to on-ice skill.
- Gear that does not hold up. Cheap training products break down fast under real training loads. Better Hockey products are built for daily use, not occasional sessions: Swedish design, tested to the highest durability standards.
- Price versus quality trade-off. Players should not have to choose between gear that works and gear they can afford. The direct model removes that trade-off.
Coach Erik's tip: Most players I work with underestimate how quickly daily off-ice reps compound. Ten minutes of stickhandling every morning before school — that is over 60 hours of puck-touch in a single season. No ice session gives you that volume. Start with a trainer that will not fall apart on you, and build the habit before you worry about anything else.
If you are just getting started, the guide to hockey training at home covers the practical setup from scratch.
FAQ
What is Better Hockey's mission?
To provide world-class hockey training equipment that is accessible to every player — from beginner to NHL pro. The belief behind the brand is that great hockey starts off the ice, and that players at every level deserve equipment that reflects that.
Where is Better Hockey based?
Better Hockey is headquartered in Sweden, which is where its hockey culture roots run deepest. The brand serves players through regional online stores; betterhockey.eu is the home for players across Europe.
Is Better Hockey a Swedish brand?
Yes. Better Hockey is headquartered in Sweden and built on Swedish hockey culture: Swedish design, tested to the highest durability standards, with European quality across the range. A concrete example is the Pro Shooting Targets, which were developed in collaboration with the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation.
Do NHL players really use Better Hockey products?
Yes. Many well-known NHL ambassadors, including Swedish pros, use Better Hockey products as part of their training. These are ambassadors, not Better Hockey staff or coaches. They use the gear because it performs.
Why are Better Hockey prices lower than many competitors?
Better Hockey designs its own product line under its own brand, and sells directly to players without going through retail distributors or third-party middlemen. Large purchasing volumes keep costs down. That saving is passed on in the price, not kept as margin.
Does Better Hockey sell synthetic ice?
No. Better Hockey's flooring tile range is training tiles — designed for shooting pads and off-ice skill work. Better Hockey does not sell skateable synthetic ice panels.
Summary
Better Hockey exists because the development gap between ice sessions is real, and because world-class training gear should not be reserved for players whose families can afford premium retail prices. The own-brand, direct model solves both problems at once: quality stays high because the products are designed and tested by people who take hockey seriously, and prices stay accessible because there are no middlemen taking a cut.
The Swedish hockey roots, the Made in Europe core range, and the many NHL ambassadors, including Swedish pros, who use the gear are not marketing decoration — they are the validation that the mission is working. When the gear is good enough for elite players and affordable enough for youth players in a garden or garage, the gap closes.
That is what Better Hockey was built to do. Ready to start? Browse our best sellers and follow us @betterhockeysweden on YouTube and Instagram.
