Blind hockey program gives visually impaired kids a chance to try the sport

More than a dozen visually impaired youths had a chance to experience the game of hockey on Tuesday.

Canadian Blind Hockey and the University of Saskatchewan men’s team joined together to give kids a chance to get onto the ice as part of its Learn to Skate & Try Blind Hockey Program.

Luca DeMontis, program director for Canadian Blind Hockey, said everyone should have a chance to play one of the country’s favourite sports.

“Saskatchewan is a hockey province, right? So it only makes sense to get these kids out on the ice playing our nation’s game. Seeing the smile on their face is remarkable,” DeMontis said.

There was plenty of support for the kids. Huskies head coach Brandin Cote was on the ice along with some of his coaches and players, helping the youngsters skate or pushing them around the rink on chairs.

“There’s not many times when you see a kid smiling in the penalty box,” DeMontis said as he watched them soak it all in.

The kids weren’t the only ones with grins on their faces. It seemed that the Huskies, parents and everyone else involved couldn’t stop smiling as the youths moved up and down the ice.

Some have been waiting for a day like this for a long time.

Adam Kugler Sprayson, who has less than 20 per cent vision, said he was at the first-ever blind hockey program held in Saskatoon in 2013, and he immediately fell in love with the sport. He said he’s been skating ever since, and would be thrilled if a local team was put together.

“I would be mind-blown, because I’ve been waiting for this for a couple of years now,” Kugler Sprayson said.

There are 14 blind hockey teams across Canada, and they travel to tournaments each year.

Programs like the one held on Tuesday bring so much more than just the chance to get out on the ice for an hour, DeMontis added.

“What’s even more important is the skills they’re learning off the ice,” DeMontis said.

Renelle Gauthier praised the program for giving a new opportunity to her nine-year-old son Isaiah, who has been blind since birth.

“I just see all of these people that are rooting for him, and it really helps him with his self-confidence,” Gauthier said.

“If he really saw himself in the way that others do, I just think we wouldn’t worry so much. And he’s starting to see those things.”

It can sometimes be difficult to give Isaiah these opportunities, she added.

“He thrives by learning, and Saskatchewan has been very challenging,” she said. “To get the proper support for him to live a full life is very challenging.”

DeMontis said the ultimate goal is to make sure programs like Learn to Skate & Try Blind Hockey are held more often.

“Today is our pilot project, and you’ve got to start from somewhere,” DeMontis said.

“From here we’re going to gauge the interest. I’ve already had a bunch of parents say how amazing this is, and (ask) when we can do it again.”

Anyone interested in taking part in the events, or volunteering, can find more information on Canada Blind Hockey’s website.