Travelling out of town to play in tournaments is something that hockey players look forward to each season. They feel the anticipation of getting to play in a new arena, against new teams, all while enjoying a whole weekend away with their teammates, playing mini sticks in the hotel hallway, and going out for pizza after games.
It’s an experience like no other and provides incredible opportunities for young people to step outside their comfort zone and grow both as a hockey player, and as a person.
But it’s not always easy to get this experience. Players facing barriers to traditional hockey programming are offered few opportunities to take part in something that so many Canadians take for granted.
Players like Damien, who recently finished his first year in the SuperHEROS program.
Damien lives with barriers such as high anxiety and delayed speech development, which make accessing hockey through traditional program structure very difficult. “Physically, he’s such a great skater, but he needs some extra support to really be able to play the game,” said Damien’s dad, Gerry.
SuperHEROS was created in 2018 to provide young people living with physical or cognitive barriers a safe and inclusive space where they can play, learn, and grow through the game of hockey. Just like every HEROS program, players are provided with everything they need to succeed, both on and off the ice, completely free of charge.
“Because of Damien’s love of hockey, we wanted to find him somewhere he could play,” said Gerry. “When we first got that call, we were all so excited – I think relief might even be the word – that he got into a program that fits his needs.”
Gerry went on to explain that it wasn’t necessarily being on the ice but being part of a team that Damien looked forward to most, something that he was able to experience as he joined 14 other SuperHEROS players from across Canada to take part in the Canadian Adapted Hockey Alliance’s Invitational Friendship Tournament in Ottawa!
The tournament, which ran from March 16th to the 19th, was hosted by friends of HEROS, the Capital City Condors, and marked the first time a SuperHEROS team has ever been a part of an adapted hockey tournament.
For the most part, adapted hockey looks like any other hockey game you’d watch – two teams, referees, a crowd of roaring fans – but in adapted hockey, the rules of the game change to fit the needs of the players. Much like how adult rec leagues remove slapshots, or younger players use a smaller ice surface, adapted hockey makes the game more accessible to players by altering rules such as icing and offsides, bringing coaches on the ice to support players and allowing for mobility devices such as wheelchairs and Kaye trainers to be used.
But Gerry, having experienced traditional hockey tournaments with his daughters, noticed another big difference, “when you’re sitting in the stands [at a traditional hockey tournament] as a parent, you’re a critic of the referees and coaches, the parents don’t get along – it’s just a gongshow basically. But going out to Ottawa, it was such a touching experience sitting there with parents that are in the same boat. We’re all raising a child with a disability. Other families don’t understand that but when you’re a parent to a kid with a disability, you get it.”
Gerry continued, saying, “It didn’t matter what the score was, didn’t matter who was the best player on the ice. Everyone was just having fun and happy, something that I have never experienced.”
For Damien, the chance to play in an adapted hockey tournament like this opened a whole new world of possibilities. He flew on a plane for the first time, met new friends and explored a new city. “He keeps asking when we’ll get to do something like this again”, Gerry explained through a chuckle.
As Damien experienced, hockey is so much more than the hour or two you spend on the ice. It’s the time spent with your teammates and coaches in the dressing rooms, the hotels and even on the team bus – something that HEROS Executive Director, Kevin Hodgson had been reminded of just a few weeks before arriving in Ottawa.
“One of our players came up to me and said, ‘so you’ve got two busses, right Kevin, a player’s bus and a parent’s bus?’ because on his brother’s team, that’s what would happen”, Kevin explained. “So that’s what we did. Having these experiences is something that so many people take for granted, but for SuperHEROS players, it’s so impactful because it means that their disability doesn’t define them. That they’re just like their brothers and sisters and every other hockey player out there.”
And just like the many other hockey players out there, SuperHEROS players had some incredible people supporting their journey.
Ryley Budd, of the U15 Calgary Northstars, together with Enercorp created a fundraising campaign to support SuperHEROS goalie, Harrison so that he could make it out to Ottawa for this unforgettable experience.
Brett Sutter, the Flames Foundation and the Calgary Wranglers celebrated Brett’s 1000th AHL game by making an incredibly generous donation to ensure SuperHEROS could be a part of this tournament.
The kindness and generosity demonstrated by these community members made this weekend possible and gave these players the opportunity to develop memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.
Of course, the players were also supported by their dedicated coaches, Daria, Rob and Janelle.
Janelle, who is the Grassroots Program Coordinator for Hockey Winnipeg and currently leads the SuperHEROS Winnipeg program, had said while the first game is always a little nerve-wracking, when she stepped out on the ice those nerves disappeared and she found herself holding back happy tears saying, “It was just so inspiring to see players get out there and truly play the game to just have fun. We saw the parents in the stands cheering for everyone. It showed what hockey really is all about. Not winning, but creating lifelong friendships, trying new things and having fun.”
Overall, the weekend was a resounding success. Coaches left filled with gratitude and happiness for being part of such an extraordinary experience, family members left with timeless memories of a tournament weekend spent with their loved ones and players left with an entirely new experience, new friends, new skills, a renewed sense of belonging within the game of hockey and, as is tradition in Ottawa, a Beavertail for the flight home!
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