WINDSOR, ONT. -- Hockey will truly be a sport for all as the puck drops at Windsor’s first Blind Hockey Day this weekend.
On Saturday, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Canadian Blind Hockey and OHL’s Windsor Spitfires partner up to host a free Try Blind Hockey Day at the WFCU Centre.
Blind Hockey is played by athletes who are visually impaired or legally blind (having approximately 10 per cent vision or less). The sport uses some modified rules and equipment. The most notable change is the adapted puck.
“Our goalies are fully blind. They rely solely on hearing the puck. When the puck is in the air it doesn’t make much noise,” said Luca DeMontis, Canadian Blind Hockey‘s program manager.
The traditional puck is smaller in size, made with rubber and solid. The blind hockey puck is made with steel, hollow, and makes noise on the ice. The sounds allows visually impaired players to track the movements of the puck.(Photo courtesy Canadian Blind Hockey)
Canadian Blind Hockey has been hosting Try-It sessions for youth across the country for 10 years. The Windsor event will be just the second time they are hosting a class for all ages and levels.
“Once a youth gets on the ice, very rarely do they want to leave,” said DeMontis. He believes adults trying out hockey for the first time or experienced players will feel the same way.
The goal of the session is to spread awareness about the accessibility of sports for all, no matter the vision level.
“It’s easier for visually impaired people in larger cities to get involved in blind sport leagues,” said Ryan Van Praet, sport program lead for CNIB Ontario West. He said with the blind population much lower in smaller centres, it’s challenging to recruit a fully visually impaired hockey team.
“If we get a good amount of interest, we can work on creating more sustained opportunities in the area."
He envisions one day putting together a blind hockey team in the Windsor-Essex-Chatham-Kent area that can compete in regional and national Canadian Blind Hockey tournaments.
Participants are welcome to bring guests with them for the session as blind hockey can be played with a mix of sighted and visually impaired athletes.
"If you want to create a shinny game of hockey with family and friends, it’s possible," Praet said.
The event will feature guests from the Windsor Spitfires and limited spaces are still available. For more information call 226-219-7626.
