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As a boy, Sinh Nguyen wanted to play hockey like his friends did. But his parents were immigrants to Canada, and looking back, he says they had neither the money nor the know-how to make that happen.

Today he鈥檚 an assistant on his son鈥檚 team in youth 鈥渞ep鈥� hockey in Brampton. And as minority team members in this city 30 miles northwest of Toronto which is 73.3% 鈥渧isible minority鈥� 鈥� how Canada describes nonwhite, non-indigenous racial minorities 鈥� they fit right in at South Fletcher鈥檚 Sportsplex on a recent Saturday morning, as Southeast Asian, South Asian, and black Canadians lace up.

鈥淚 think it just depends on where you live, but here I see all the different groups playing the sport,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not really the old white boys鈥� sport.鈥�

But that鈥檚 become a raging debate in Canada in the past month. From the firing of firebrand broadcaster Don Cherry over divisive comments about 鈥測ou people鈥�; to followup commentary by a television talk show host that hockey in her view is a rich, white sport; to the resignation of Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters last week over racial slurs directed at former NHL player Akim Aliu, hockey is having what鈥檚 been called by some Canadian opinion makers its #MeToo movement on race and power.

Yet at the youth level, many teams are already breaking paradigms 鈥� and realizing that if they don鈥檛, they face a bleak future.

鈥淗ockey has to connect with Canadians鈥�

The diversity at the rink in Brampton is not just a reflection of the town鈥檚 changing demographics. It鈥檚 also a concentrated effort by a league that saw its enrollment drop in half 鈥� from more than 4,000 to just under 2,000 players, says Brampton Hockey general manager Glenn McIntyre 鈥� in the past 25 years. Overall, Hockey Canada registration has fallen to 453,361 participants, down from 500,120 a decade ago.

So the Brampton league has partnered with organizations to go into schools to teach ball hockey or to get newcomers into 鈥渓earn-to-skate鈥� programs. They have also participated in 鈥淔irst Shift,鈥� a low-commitment entry into hockey, through which about 450 have participated in the past six years.

鈥淗ockey is a Canadian tradition,鈥� says Mr. McIntyre. 鈥淎nd we would like to see it stay that way.鈥�

Last month, the Greater Toronto Hockey League hosted a summit called 鈥淭he Transition Game鈥� to shift culture and make hockey more inclusive. Although the league鈥檚 overall numbers have remained stable, says Scott Oakman, the executive director of the GTHL, registration has not increased alongside population growth.

鈥淥ne of the comments made at the summit was that a hockey arena should look like a classroom in that community,鈥� says Mr. Oakman. 鈥淎nd I think in parts of Ontario, that鈥檚 the case. I think we鈥檝e in our jurisdiction made some inroads into certain communities, but I don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e anywhere close to having the hockey rink in our jurisdiction reflect what the classroom looks like.鈥�

Part of youth hockey鈥檚 problem is the availability of other sports like basketball, especially after the Toronto Raptors鈥� NBA championship last season. This has happened as hockey has become overly structured, argues Sean Fitz-Gerald, a writer for The Athletic Canada, a hockey dad, and author of 鈥淏efore the Lights Go Out.鈥�

Professionalized coaches and pressures at the youngest ages trickle down, driving up commitment 鈥� and prices. Even if music lessons or competitive swimming can be just as expensive, hockey鈥檚 intense schedules can mean 鈥渟oft costs鈥� (like needing a car or traveling to Buffalo for a tournament) put the sport out of reach. It鈥檚 no longer the 鈥渆veryman sport鈥� for all Canadians, Mr.聽Fitz-Gerald says.

He says hockey is also not doing a good job of connecting with new Canadians. 鈥淧art of that was that for years, hockey鈥檚 marketing plan was, 鈥楬ey, Canada, it鈥檚 cold, it鈥檚 time to come into the arena. The doors are open,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淏ut hockey has to learn, it has to connect with Canadians.鈥�

Opening up to newcomers

There are many attempts to forge those bridges underway. Hockey 4 Youth was started by Moezine Hasham in Toronto in 2015. The organization鈥檚 goal is to help speed the path to integration of newcomer teens arriving from Pakistan, or Syria, or Vietnam, via hockey. They started with 30 kids. This year they will be running eight programs with about 250 participants.

Their co-ed program works with schools that are in walking distance of arenas and where students can store their gear 鈥� some simple solutions that break down common barriers.

Other minor shifts include intentionally using less insider terminology, says Dwight Graham, vice president of hockey development of Brampton Hockey. He uses language like 鈥減ick-up hockey鈥� instead of 鈥渟hinny鈥� so that new families can be part of the conversation. 鈥淲hen you do that, then they feel more empowered. And when they feel more comfortable, then the inclusion starts,鈥� he says.

Part of the mental shift has to occur within new players, Mr. Hasham says. 鈥淚 tell my kids all the time, once they鈥檝e started to play hockey and once they feel comfortable on the ice, they鈥檙e now hockey players.鈥�

There is also new thinking that has to take place at the league level if programs for newcomers are to scale up. One of the GTHL summit takeaways, says Mr. Oakman, is that hockey has to return to communities. In the Toronto area, he says, that means offering programs at rinks standing idle. 鈥淪ome would argue, well, there鈥檚 no kids playing hockey in that community, that鈥檚 why there鈥檚 no program there,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd I would argue, there鈥檚 no kids playing hockey in the community, because there鈥檚 no program there.鈥�

Andrew Holman, a Canadian history professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts and co-author of 鈥淗ockey: A Global History,鈥� says questions about diversity join a history of crises in hockey, from Russian dominance to gender inclusion.

But hockey has also made strides to open up: In Canada, there is 鈥淗ockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition,鈥� for example, or occasional broadcasts in indigenous languages. And it鈥檚 not the only sport that struggles with diversity. But hockey is held to a different standard here. 鈥淚f you hold out a particular sport to be the emblem of the nation,鈥� he says, 鈥渢hen it better be reflective of the nature of Canadian society.鈥�

Those involved in Brampton鈥檚 local league agree. Mr. Graham says about 30% to 40% of Brampton travel program teams are visible minority. 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be a lag,鈥� adds Mr. Nguyen, just like in his own family.

Mr. McIntyre says he believes that diversity will one day be reflected at the very top, in the NHL. 鈥淚 honestly think you鈥檙e going to see that,鈥� he says, 鈥渟ooner than later for sure.鈥�