Step onto the ice and into a world where the love of hockey transcends sight. ‘Beyond sight, rebounding with sound’ explores the exhilarating world of the fastest sport on ice played by athletes with 10 per cent vision or less: blind hockey. The team play doesn’t just happen on the ice, though — it’s a sport that creates community. Featuring pivotal voices — from the players immersed in the game to the dedicated management working behind the scenes — this audio documentary captures the passion that drives this remarkable sport.
Mark DeMontis (left) and Josep Del Grande (right) chat on the bench during a Toronto Ice Owls game at Agincourt Arena in Toronto, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2023. In 2009, DeMontis founded Courage Canada, now known as Canadian Blind Hockey, raising money for programs through an inline skate campaign across the country. (Amanda McGee)
Blind hockey player Josep Del Grande awaits puck drop during a hockey game. He is wearing a bright yellow jersey that displays his last name and hockey number, 5, on the back.
Nick Bullick passes to Roland Arndt during a Toronto Ice Owls hockey game at Agincourt Arena in Toronto, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2023. Bullick has been playing with the Ice Owls for less than a year. (Amanda McGee)
Toronto Ice Owls play their fifth game of the season at Agincourt Arena in Toronto, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2023. The Ice Owls returned to the ice after not playing for two weeks due to an electrical issue in the arena. (Amanda McGee)
Joe Zylak (right) awaits puck drop during a face-off in a Toronto Ice Owls blind hockey game at Agincourt Arena in Toronto, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2023. Zylak joined the team in 2017 after his friend introduced him to the sport. (Amanda McGee)
Slava Kotov plays in the Toronto Ice Owls’ fifth game of the season at Agincourt Arena in Toronto, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2023. Kotov has been playing blind hockey for two years. (Amanda McGee)
Karen Rousseau chats with teammates during a Toronto Ice Owls game at Agincourt Arena in Toronto, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2023. Rousseau hasn’t played in the net for over a year, she fills in the shoes for her teammate who couldn’t attend the game. (Amanda McGee)
Toronto Ice Owls player Emily McLean scored a penalty shot during the team’s game in Agincourt Arena, Toronto, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2023. McLean played in the 2023 Carnegie Cup Elite Blind Ice Hockey Series in February 2023. (Amanda McGee)
Gabriel Alves attends practice for the Toronto Jr. Ice Owls at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. Alves has been enrolled in the blind hockey youth program since it started in 2018. (Amanda McGee)
Aiden Quilty poses during a Toronto Jr. Ice Owls’ blind hockey practice held at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. Quilty has been playing blind hockey for five years. (Amanda McGee)
A partially sighted child engages in shooting drills during practice for the Toronto Jr. Ice Owls at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. During practice, players communicate with their instructors and teammates to help coordinate their shots. (Amanda McGee)
The Toronto Jr. Ice Owls held practice at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. Players further develop their hockey skills by engaging in skating and shooting drills during practice. (Amanda McGee)
The Toronto Jr. Ice Owls held their second practice of the season at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on October 22, 2023. During practice, players are encouraged to shoot at the targets placed inside the nets. (Amanda McGee)
A youth blind hockey player prepares to take a shot during a Toronto Jr. Ice Owls practice held at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. The pucks used in blind hockey contain metal bearings to make noise and are three times larger than a traditional hockey puck. (Amanda McGee)
A Canadian Tire sports water bottle is left on top of the boards during a youth blind hockey practice at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. In June of 2021, the Canadian Blind Hockey organization was selected by Canadian Tire Jumpstart to receive a grant from their Sport Relief Fund to help provide children with access to play sports. (Amanda McGee)
An instructor guides a partially sighted child on the ice during a Toronto Jr. Ice Owls practice at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. During practice, one-on-one coaching is offered to help new members learn how to play the sport. (Amanda McGee)
A girl guides a partially sighted child on the ice during practice for the Toronto Jr. Ice Owls at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. During practice, participants can learn how to skate with the help from volunteers. (Amanda McGee)
The Toronto Jr. Ice Owls gather in a circle during practice at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. The team welcomes blind and partially sighted youth participants of any age to come out and learn how to play. (Amanda McGee)
Youth blind hockey program coordinator Luca DeMontis stands on the ice at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. DeMontis has led the program since its start in October 2018. (Amanda McGee)
A blind hockey net sits between two traditional hockey nets inside Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. Blind hockey uses smaller three-foot nets instead of the four-foot nets used in traditional hockey. (Amanda McGee)
The Toronto Jr. Ice Owls held their second practice of the season at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ont., on Oct. 22, 2023. The team practices every Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. until the end of the season in March. (Amanda McGee)
