Latest news with #BlindHockey
Ottawa Citizen
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Sudbury's Amanda Provan caps stellar season with blind hockey title
Article content Canada beating up the U.S.A. in hockey is always a treat. Article content And for Amanda Provan of Sudbury, that was only part of an amazing experience at the 2025 International Blind Ice Hockey Series in Montreal, April 25-27. Article content 'Honestly, just being with the team, the whole thing. It's a great group of guys. It's more of a family than anything. Just being there, and being in that moment, and obviously winning and getting the cup and medals is a cool experience, too,' she says. Article content Article content 'I think for me one of the most humbling experiences is the national anthems (before) the first game. It makes me a little emotional to be standing up there, knowing you're representing your country. It's an incredible community.' Article content Article content The Canadian National Blind Hockey Team won its sixth consecutive head-to-head series with the U.S. Blind Hockey team, which put up a great battle in the best-of-three series. Article content Provan, 30, is the first and only woman on the Canadian team. She had two assists in the tournament. In fact, all skaters tallied at least a point. The Canadian goalies allowed three goals in the three games — including a shutout in the final contest. Article content 'I find that first game, it takes me a little bit to settle in, and I hadn't been on the ice in a little bit. It was just getting comfortable and finding my stride.' Article content Article content Blind hockey athletes are blind or partially sighted. The puck is adapted. Larger than the traditional puck, it also makes noise, thanks to bearings insdie. Players wear contrasting jerseys. All games are available to watch on Canadian Blind Hockey's YouTube channel. Article content At international-level players must be classified under the same system used in the Paralympics and have 10 per cent vision or less, according to Blind Hockey Canada. Article content Provan feels a lot of responsibility as the only woman on the team. Article content 'To be a good role model for the younger girls is a lot of pressure, but it's also a really cool experience, because anything I'm doing for the first time is a first for women in blind hockey,' she says. Article content 'The guys are all really supportive and just really great. There's not much of a barrier or anything. It's hockey. If I want to play at the highest level, I have to play with them and I have to compete. I'm OK doing that. I enjoy it.'
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blind hockey tourney founder Mark DeMontis to be honoured in Toronto
The world's largest blind hockey tournament returns to Toronto this weekend for its 11th edition and founder Mark DeMontis will be honoured during Friday's opening ceremonies. The 2025 Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament presented by CNIB Foundation takes place Friday to Sunday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, formerly Maple Leaf Gardens, and will be the largest blind hockey event of all time with 190 players competing – a 19% growth from last year's previous record. The Hockey Hall of Fame will be bringing the prestigious NHL Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award to celebrate the reigning winner – Toronto native and tournament founder DeMontis. This will be the first time DeMontis has had the opportunity to celebrate winning an NHL Award with the entire Blind Hockey community, as well as 2,000 elementary students from across the TDSB and the TCDSB who will be on hand to witness the best Blind Hockey players on the planet go head-to-head during this special schools-only invitational game. 'The most gratifying thing has been seeing the impact, first-hand, especially with youngsters and their families,' DeMontis said in a statement. 'It's always been a goal of mine to show blind or partially sighted youth across the country, and around the world for that matter, that Blind Hockey not only existed, but that they could participate in the game despite their disability.' NHL awards Toronto blind hockey player Mark DeMontis ON THE ROLL AGAIN: Blind hockey players to blade across Ontario The tournament will involve 24 games played across seven divisions that include children, youth, girls and women, low vision and development, open, select, and, for the first-time ever, a masters series. 'This tournament is an annual celebration of how much Canadian Blind Hockey and the Para sport has grown over the past 15 years,' Executive Director Matt Morrow said in a statement. 'This tournament only had 45 players and one division in its first year in 2013, and this year we have more than four times that many players and seven divisions for all ages and skill levels showing that Blind Hockey is for everyone!' Players will be representing every province in Canada, as well as the United States, Finland and England. The tournament is free and open to the public with all games streamed live on the Canadian Blind Hockey YouTube channel. The full tournament schedule is available at jstevenson@
