It was a special day in Lake Country on Wednesday, Nov. 26 as blind and visually-impaired youth got the chance to get on the ice and give hockey a try.
Held at Winfield Arena, Canadian Blind Hockey hosted the event called the Try Blind Hockey program, giving an introduction to those interested in the game.
“This is our introductory program where we invite local youth who are blind or partially sighted to come to the rink and learn about the parasport of blind hockey for the day,” said Canadian Blind Hockey executive director Matt Morrow. “We’ll teach them the adaptive rules, let them know all the different opportunities that are available to participate.”
Around 12 kids took part in the event as they got to skate with members of the George Elliott Secondary School Hockey Academy. Some of the participants were giving a try at hockey, while for others, it was their first time skating.
Morrow said the program has made appearances in the Central Okanagan for the last six years.
As for the sport itself, it’s very similar to traditional hockey with the exception of a few adaptive rules, the largest being the puck, which is bigger and makes noise and a pass has to be made before shooting when crossing the blue line into the offensive zone.
Morrow said this program has been available thanks in part to the Canucks for Kids Fund.
He also added that Wednesday’s event showed that “hockey is for everybody and Kelowna is really a hockey community.”
A nationally registered charity, Canadian Blind Hockey helps those who are blind or partially sighted through Blind Hockey programs, camps, and tournaments at a multitude of levels.