At the age of 10, Joseph Fournier experienced a significant setback when he lost 96 percent of his vision due to Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, a rare disorder causing vision failure, and was told he would have to hang up his skates.
“When it first happened, my whole life kind of just flipped upside down”, said Fournir.
It wasn’t until he was informed about an organization dedicated to helping visually impaired athletes, Canadian Blind Hockey.
Blind Hockey was invented at the W Ross MacDonald School for the Blind in Brantford in 1936, and really became a sport with the founding of the Toronto Ice Owls Blind Hockey Team in 1972.
Until 2016, they were under the name Courage Canada where they formally changed their name to Canadian Blind Hockey. This helped filter and reflect the vision and the organization’s mission, to change and culturally impact the sport worldwide while creating their own cultural legacy.
“We started rebranding into Canadian Blind Hockey with our new logo and also our new title right away, that was easy for the community to adapt and understand. But also it was more important for the new spectators, the new viewer, the people on the outside that didn’t know about us,” said Co-founder Luca De Montis.
Organizations like Canadian Blind Hockey have overcome the obstacles that face an adaptive sport. As they continue to grow, more training for all age demographics along with being able to provide specialized equipment to play the sport is something the organization wants to continue for the future of the sport.
According to Sky News, more than half of the blind or partially sighted people engage in less than 30 minutes of physical activity compared to 47 per cent of the population that does. Partially sighted people deal with more obstacles and restraints than the “regular athlete”. Canadian Blind Hockey since its creation is determined to impact the younger generation, while connecting those who are struggling with their disability.
“Having role models that are also visually impaired, getting to see other visually impaired, successful people, because when I first lost my sight, I thought, well, this is it, I’m not gonna do anything with my life, I’m just gonna sit around, mope, maybe I’ll get a better way to job and do that for the rest of my life,” said Fournier.
The para sport, although very similar to professional hockey, has its own unique traits and modifications that distinguish itself from regular ice hockey.
“So the puck is, I think it’s four times bigger than a regular puck. It’s made out of metal and it has ball bearings in it. So you can hear it, which is definitely. the biggest Adaptation for sure. Another big rule, I guess, the nets are a foot shorter than a regular net because the goalies are totally blind. And that with ball bearings, when it gets too high up in the air, it’s harder to hear it. The balls stop rattling as much.”
Despite the fact the organization has been committed to helping the youth and adults play the game they love, the ultimate goal which co-founder Luca Demontis says isn’t obtainable right now, it can be obtainable in the future.
“The ultimate goal is to be in the Paralympics, we feel that the sport is inclusive enough where the goal is achievable and we will continue helping countries with the framework around the world to hopefully one day reach the ultimate dream.”
The 10th annual Canadian Blind hockey tournament returns to Toronto from March 22-24 at the Mattamy Athletic center (old maple leaf gardens). Visually impaired players will showcase their remarkable skill and determination on the ice. In the arena, the echoes of cheers and the crisp sound of skates cutting through the ice create an atmosphere of unity, breaking down barriers and highlighting the power of sports to transcend limitations.
“We’re continuing to stay dedicated to helping to create as much awareness for the sport as possible because it’s proved that hockey is for everyone, but more importantly than that, it’s just to have the opportunity to take part in something special.”
