World Playground, Founded by Former NHL Star Brooks Laich, Is Shaking Up Travel Booking With Direct Access to Wholesale Prices

World Playground Revolutionizes Travel Booking by Prioritizing People Over Profit

LOS ANGELES, May 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Former NHL star Brooks Laich and co-founder Jeff Shafar, announced today the launch of World Playground, a groundbreaking online travel booking platform built on the simple yet radical brand promise to "make the unforgettable more affordable." World Playground launches as the only platform bringing true wholesale hotel pricing and industry-level rates on cruises and travel insurance directly to consumers.

Traditional online travel agencies have spent decades inflating the cost of travel through added commissions and markups. World Playground disrupts that business model by offering the same un-inflated insider rates reserved for industry professionals, making global travel more affordable. Since its debut, World Playground has saved consumers an average of 18 percent per booking compared to competitor sites.

Laich's vision for World Playground is rooted in a lifetime of global exploration, from his NHL career to years spent adventuring around the world. Whether climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania or swimming with whales in Tonga, he's seen firsthand how transformative travel can be, and how cost and hidden markups often keep people from experiencing it. World Playground is his answer: a platform built to democratize travel and empower more people to create meaningful memories without financial barriers.

"I've been fortunate to travel the world and do things most people only dream about, from playing hockey all across North America to exploring all across Africa," said Laich, Founder of World Playground. "Those experiences and the memories I've created along the way have brought so much joy and meaning to my life. I founded World Playground because I want everyone to be able to have the same opportunity to create memories. World Playground is about making the world more affordable and accessible for all."

By combining the industry's lowest available prices with a visually immersive, intuitive platform, World Playground is revolutionizing how consumers discover and book travel. More than a booking site, it is a movement designed to inspire adventure, expand access to extraordinary experiences, and bring the unforgettable within reach.

Visit World Playground, https://worldplayground.co/

About World Playground
World Playground is a travel booking platform founded by former NHL player Brooks Laich and Jeff Shafar, built to make travel more affordable through transparent pricing and no hidden markups. Unlike traditional travel sites, World Playground offers customers access to true net rates on hotels and returns industry standard commissions on cruises and travel insurance as Travel Credits. Built around the promise of "Making the Unforgettable More Affordable," the platform combines exceptional value with a seamless booking experience, helping more people travel, explore, and create unforgettable memories.

About Brooks Laich
Brooks Laich is a retired Canadian NHL player and entrepreneur. During his hockey career, he played 776 games for the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, and Ottawa Senators, and was known for his dedication and leadership, on and off the ice. After retiring from hockey, he moved into business and founded World Playground, a travel booking platform focused on offering hotels, cruises, and travel insurance at transparent, un-inflated prices with a seamless booking experience. Through World Playground, he continues to bring the same passion, conviction, and vision that defined his career in professional sports.

About Jeff Shafar
Jeff Shafar is a marketing entrepreneur and co-founder of World Playground. In 2012, he founded Hippo Bear Media, a digital marketing agency specializing in content strategy, paid advertising, and website design, where he spent more than a decade helping brands across healthcare, sports, and hospitality grow their online presence through performance-driven marketing and digital strategy. Today, as COO of World Playground, he brings that same hands-on, builder mentality to the travel industry, helping create a platform that gives travelers access to hotels, cruises, and travel insurance at un-inflated prices through a seamless booking experience.

SOURCE World Playground