TRANSPARENCY

How PuckReady works, how we make money, and how we keep our platform honest for Manitoba hockey families.

Our Mission

PuckReady exists to help Manitoba hockey families find the right programs for their children. We believe every family deserves access to honest, comprehensive information about hockey development opportunities — regardless of their budget or location.

To maintain this mission, we've built our business model with transparency and editorial independence at the core.

How We Make Money

Premium Listings

Hockey programs can choose to feature their listing on PuckReady for a monthly fee. Premium (promoted) listings appear in:

  • Top search results when filtering by program type
  • Featured section on the homepage
  • Premium badge on their program card
  • Better visibility in recommendations

Important: Promoted status does NOT influence program ratings, reviews, or quality assessments. A promoted program can have a 2-star rating, and a free listing can have 5 stars.

All Programs Are Free to List

Any hockey program in Manitoba can list themselves on PuckReady at no cost. There are no hidden fees for basic listings. Premium features (like promotion) are entirely optional.

Whether a program pays or not, they appear in search results, can receive reviews, and are eligible for "Verified" status.

How Programs Are Verified

The "Verified" badge means PuckReady's team has reviewed the program and confirmed:

  • ✓The program exists and is currently operating
  • ✓Contact information is accurate and up-to-date
  • ✓Program type, age range, and location are correctly listed
  • ✓Basic information has been fact-checked

Verification is about accuracy, not quality. A verified program could still have low ratings if parent reviews reflect poor experiences.

Editorial Independence

Our reviews, ratings, and search ranking are completely independent from our revenue model. This means:

  • →Paying programs don't get higher ratings or better reviews
  • →Our recommendation engine considers all programs equally
  • →Promoted listings appear at the top of the directory, but our "Find Your Fit" wizard recommendations are 100% merit-based
  • →Parent reviews are not filtered based on promotion status

Understanding Our Badges

✓ Verified

PuckReady has reviewed and confirmed the program details are accurate.

⭐ Featured

A popular program with strong parent reviews and community engagement.

⚡ Promoted

A program that has chosen to feature their listing with PuckReady for increased visibility. NOT a reflection of quality.

🆕 New

A program that was recently added to PuckReady (within the last 30 days).

Our Commitment to Transparency

Every program listing clearly shows whether it's promoted (premium) or free. When you see the ⚡ Promoted badge, you know that program is paying for visibility.

This doesn't mean it's a worse program — just that they've chosen to feature their listing. We think that's fair: families get to see who's promoted, and programs get visibility for their investment.

But rest assured: your search results, recommendations, and ratings are never influenced by promotion status. We show you the best programs for your family — not the programs that paid the most.

Have Questions About Our Model?

We're committed to being transparent. If you have questions about how we operate, reach out directly.

Contact Us