New USA Hockey policy restricts transgender player access to certain programs

USA Hockey has approved a new policy that will prohibit transgender athletes from participating in hockey programs that are classified by sex, including adult recreational “beer” leagues.
The new participant eligibility policy, which was approved on Nov. 15, 2025, and will go into effect on April 1, 2026, states that, “In all programs where participation is restricted by sex, athletes are only permitted to participate in such programs based on their sex assigned at birth, except that a female (as assigned at birth) may not play in programs restricted to females if they have undergone any…