The first thing you notice is the sound. Not the scrape of blades, but the rattle of a heavy steel puck cutting across the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre ice.
For the kids stepping out for their first blind hockey trial on Wednesday, that sound was an invitation, proof that hockey had a place for them too.
Sixteen children from across Greater Victoria arrived, not quite sure what the day would hold. Many had never put on skates.
A few clung to boards, others shuffled forward with cautious steps, all of them guided by volunteers and three Victoria Royals players – goaltender Ethan Eskit, forward Nolan Stewart, and defenceman Cohen Massey.
For Corbin Johnson, program coordinator for the Canadian Blind Hockey Association, the moment hit close to home.
Growing up with sight loss, Johnson spent years believing hockey simply wasn’t an option.
“As a kid myself, I gave up on hockey a long time ago because I didn’t know I could play it,” Johnson told Victoria News. “Discovering blind hockey a couple years ago was an eye opener. It was like a dream I let go of, and suddenly it was right there again.”
Helping kids experience that for the first time, he said, is the part that never stops being emotional.
“For the majority of these kids, this is their first time on the ice,” Johnson said. “It can be scary for any kid to put on skates, but for kids with sight loss, to do something they thought they couldn’t do, it’s really empowering.”
Blind hockey comes with a set of adaptations that make the game accessible.
The puck is three times the size of a standard one, made of steel and filled with ball bearings that rattle as it moves.
The nets are a foot shorter to keep shots low and trackable. And once a team enters the offensive zone, they must complete a clean pass before a shot is allowed.
A whistle signals when that pass is made, giving goalies, who by rule must be fully blind, a chance to locate the play.
“Once you hear that rattle, you know where the play’s going,” Johnson said. “Those adaptations open the door for everyone.”
That door opened wide for six-year-old William Cowburn.
His father, Trevor, stood at the bench watching his son push forward with his grin growing with every stride.
“Just seeing the smile on his face melts my heart,” Trevor said. “He’s having so much fun. Moments like this mean everything.”
William lives with significant vision loss, relying mostly on peripheral sight.
Trevor said the family has been open about the realities of his condition, including a tough conversation only a month ago.
“We got told he’d never be able to drive, which sucks because he loves cars,” Trevor said. “But he gets to play sports. That’s amazing. You hold onto moments like that.”
William recently joined the South Island Ravens, a hockey program praised for its inclusivity.
Trevor said that environment helped his son find confidence, and Wednesday’s skate built on it.
“Everyone’s there to participate, everyone’s supportive,” he said. “You don’t get a lot of programs like that. Seeing blind kids get chances like this, it means the world.”
The event also reflected a year of big growth for blind hockey in B.C.
The Canadian Blind Hockey Association recently partnered with the Vancouver Canucks through the Canucks for Kids Fund, launching the new all-ages Victoria Canucks Blind Hockey Team.
Johnson pushed for that connection early.
“I kept telling people, we have to get the skate logo involved. It fits perfectly,” he said. “Once the Canucks saw what blind hockey was all about, it was a no-brainer for them.”
Those looking to join the Victoria Canucks can join them at a weekly skate at the Panorama Recreation Centre on Sundays from 2:10 until 3:30 p.m.
For Johnson, for Trevor, and for the kids rattling that puck up and down the ice, Wednesday wasn’t a tryout. It was a reminder that hockey can look different, sound different, and still spark the same joy.