RINKS OF HOPE:
PROJECT MONGOLIA

Together we have changed hockey in Mongolia. Forever.

Hockey has a wonderful way of pulling Canada together, and it has the possibility of pulling Mongolia together too.  We have a wonderful country and to see it represented through sport here in a rink like this just lights your heart on fire. Ed Jager, Former Canadian Ambassador to Mongolia and supporter of Rinks of Hope: Project Mongolia.

Mongolia.  It’s not the first place that comes to mind when you think about hockey.  That may change after you watch this incredible journey by brothers Boe and Nate Leslie.  Our 2015 documentary Rinks of Hope: Project Mongolia explores the state of hockey, and our efforts to help, in one of the world’s most remote countries. The first professional coaches to ever coach in Mongolia, Boe and Nate visit 7 outdoor rinks in 5 cities and villages in what turned out to be the most significant youth hockey development initiative the country has ever experienced.  The impact of this journey was so significant that even the Mongolian Secret Service called on behalf of their President to lend his support and encouragement.

LGS Coyotes Headed to Mongolia: January 2027

Trip Overview

This trip is designed as a trip of a lifetime. We will practice and scrimmage with and against local Mongolian players.  We welcome Recreational and Rep players born between 2014 and 2012. Younger and older players, please feel free to inquire. Family members are encouraged and welcome to join the players for this unique cultural experience. 

Logistics

Families are responsible for booking their own international flights to Ulaanbaatar (UB). The cost per person for the ground portion of the trip is ~$2100 CAD + GST per family member. Specifics of the villages visited will be provided soon. 

As part of your fee, Leslie Global Sports will organize:

  • Hotels
  • Meal locations (families pay as you go)
  • All transportation within Mongolia (van hires) to rinks, events and villages
  • An ice rental budget
  • LGS Coyotes jerseys and swag

Trip Itinerary (January 2027)

This itinerary is certain to change a little bit as we navigate weather on outdoor rinks, and the adventures that come with life in Mongolia. 

  • Required Pre-Trip Research: Please scroll down on this page to watch our full documentary, Rinks of Hope (40 mins) before departing on the trip. This historical context will enrich your experience in ways you cannot yet imagine. 
  • Friday, Jan 1: Depart Vancouver
  • Saturday, Jan 2: Arrive in Ulaanbaatar (UB) Hotel: Holiday Inn
  • Sunday, Jan 3: Free morning. Afternoon – travel 8km in heavy traffic to home and backyard rink of our Host Mergen Arslan (Mergen Hockey Academy) to play hockey, and volunteer time organizing the donated equipment from our most recent shipment into trucks for distribution. Return to UB Hotel: Holiday Inn
  • Monday, Jan 4: Travel to Darkhan City to play hockey and distribute equipment. Hotel: In Darkhan City
  • Tuesday, Jan 5: Travel to Charingol and Hongor to play hockey and distribute equipment. Hotel TBD
  • Wednesday, Jan 6: Travel 350km over ice roads to Bugant, near the Siberian border, to play hockey and distribute equipment. Please expect very modest overnight accommodations in this unforgettable village.
  • Thursday, Jan 7: Travel to Erdenet to play hockey and distribute equipment.
  • Friday, Jan 8: Possible morning hockey then travel 350km back to Ulaanbaatar (UB) Hotel: Holiday Inn
  • Saturday, Jan 9: Depart Mongolia

Group Composition

The group will consist of 2 goalies and up to 10 skaters. Open to boys and girls 2012-2014. Contact us for exceptions. 

Equipment Drive

You, and our global hockey community, have helped changed the sport of hockey in Mongolia. Forever. It is time to do it again.

Since we began our journey in 2015, you have helped us:

Our Impact in Mongolia

    • Tripled the number of kids playing hockey

    • Sent nearly 1,000 sets of gear, shared among hundreds of young players

    • Outfitted Mongolia’s first-ever Women’s National Team for an IIHF event

    • Helped launch the first hockey academy (160 members) with new U6–U10 teams and tournaments

    • Honoured by the Mongolian Olympic Committee with a Medal of Distinction, presented by the Ambassador to Mongolia

    • Inspired the growth of covered and indoor rinks

    • Transformed the lives of thousands of kids and families

    • Supported the foundation that led to Mongolia hosting the IIHF U18 Asia & Oceania Championship in 2023

Rinks of Hope: Project Mongolia Documentary

Documentary Credits

Rinks of Hope: Project Mongolia is receiving critical acclaim and positively influencing leaders, students, families, and athletes around the world.  Download the documentary today and join in our amazing adventure.

The Project Mongolia presentation was both inspiring and thought provoking.  The message that each of us have a voice was evident throughout the film and through Nate’s story of film-making and hockey.   Nate is an excellent speaker who inspired students to add value to everything they do and to give back to others.  Bryan Lockless, Argyle Secondary School Leadership teacher, North Vancouver.
I must admit, I don’t follow the sport, or any sports for that matter. But this film is about more than a game. It’s about people coming together over a shared passion. It’s about helping strangers across the world. It’s about dedicating yourself to something.  Inspiring, to say the least. And a true, real life, adventure.  Sandra O’Connell, Vancouver Sun.

Rinks of Hope: Project Mongolia - 4 Minute Trailer

Past Media Coverage

CTV: Breakfast Television with Jodi Vance

January 13, 2016

CBC Radio Edition with Rick Cluff

January 18, 2016 (Scrub to 58:30)

earlyedition-bc-radiolarge

CKNW Radio: The Lynda Steele Show

CTV News: The Hockey Wanderer

by Gary Rutherford and Michael Shulman. December 12, 2015

CTV Mongolia Hockey

IIHF World Hockey Championships, Prague, Czech Republic

June 4, 2015

First Appearance on CBC News by Karin Larsen

June 11, 2014

Other Radio Interviews

December 3 and 5, 2014

Other News Media Articles

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