Career & Education
Finishing a degree, building job skills, and finding work that fits who you are beyond the rink.
Every player's career ends. No one should face what comes next alone.
Line Change Alliance supports hockey players moving on from the game, from juniors and college to the minors and the pros.
Our mission
Helping players make the change, on and off the ice.
Hockey asks players to give everything, often starting as teenagers far from home. When the game ends, by choice, injury, a trade, or a final cut, many are left without a degree, a plan, or people to talk to. Line Change Alliance exists to help players find their footing: in work, in their minds, in their legal status, and in community.
Led by founder Dane Birks, a former professional player who has lived the transition himself.
Four pillars
How we help
Mental Health
Making therapy normal, not a last resort, and connecting players with peers who understand.
Immigration Help
Guidance and attorney referrals for international players whose status ends when their playing career does.
Community
Ending the isolation that follows the last game through a network of former players.
Who we serve
Players at every level
- JuniorsYoung players who aged out or stepped away early.
- CollegeStudent-athletes finishing school or leaving it.
- Minor leaguesAHL, ECHL, and beyond, after years of call-ups and send-downs.
- ProsPlayers at the top level adjusting to a life without the schedule.
We also support the families who made sacrifices alongside them.
Resources
Know what's already out there for you
League benefits, education programs, mental health support, and immigration information, all in one place. Pick where you are in your career to see what applies to you.
Browse resourcesYou don't have to figure out what comes next alone.
Whether you just played your last game or hung up your skates years ago, reach out. We'll listen.