Author

Amanda McGee

Two Toronto Ice Owls hockey players are pictured playing with a orange background that read 'Beyond sight, rebounding with sound: Blind hockey'.
2023

Beyond sight, rebounding with sound: Blind hockey

by Amanda McGee
written by Amanda McGee

BY AMANDA MCGEE

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 and Josep Del Grande chat on the bench during a Toronto Ice Owls blind hockey game.
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)
Josep Del Grande awaits puck drop during a face-off in a Toronto Ice Owls game at Agincourt Arena in Toronto, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2023. Del Grande joined the team in 2013 without any prior experience playing competitive hockey. (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 Wayne St. Denis during a Toronto Ice Owls hockey game.
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)
A Toronto Ice Owls blind hockey game is pictured with players on the ice in black and yellow jerseys.
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)
Blind hockey player Joe Zylak is pictured in a bright yellow jersey awaiting puck drop during a blind hockey game.
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)
Blind hockey player Slava Kotov is pictured from behind displaying his last name and number, 17, on the back of his black jersey.
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 is pictured in goalie gear, kneeling on one knee to chat to a teammate during a blind hockey game.
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)
Blind hockey player Emily McLean is pictured holding her stick during a Toronto Ice Owls game.
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)
Youth blind hockey player Gabriel Alves is pictured smiling in hockey gear.
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)
Toronto Jr. Ice Owls player Aiden Quilty poses, holding his stick up. He is wearing a bright yellow Jr. Ice Owls jersey.
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 Toronto Jr. Ice Owls player prepares to take a shot on the ice.
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)
Toronto Jr. Ice Owls players surround a hockey net during practice.
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)
A hockey net is pictured with shooting targets hanging on the inside of it. The net is filled with larger pucks used in blind hockey.
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 blind hockey puck is pictured beside a hockey stick on ice.
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 pictured on top of the boards in a hockey rink.
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 youth on the ice during a Toronto Jr. Ice Owls practice.
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 boy who is learning how to skate on the ice. He holds onto a skating aid trainer.
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)
Toronto Jr. Ice Owls members gather around instructor Luca DeMontis on the ice.
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)
Skates pictured on ice.
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 three-foot blind hockey net is pictured in between two four-foot traditional hockey nets.
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)
Scotiabank Pond pictured from outside.
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)

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