If you think you know hockey, SportAbility is asking you to think again.
In anticipation of the 2018 Sledge Hockey Canadian National Championship this weekend, the Richmond Olympic Oval is undergoing significant retrofits to accommodate the athletes now and at future events.
Sledge hockey, created in the 1960s, is the Paralympic’s version of hockey that’s designed for athletes who have little or no movement their lower extremities. Players sit on a sled with blades and use two miniature hockey sticks with metal picks on the end to move themselves and the puck. The sport requires balance, endurance and upper body strength, according to SportAbility.
“We tried to come up with a solution that blends with event hosting but also community engagement,” said Ross MacDonald, executive director at SportAbility, a charity that provides physical activity programs for individuals with a disability across the province.
To achieve this, the Oval’s north rink needed its bench areas and penalty boxes to have see-through Plexiglass so players on the bench or in the penalty box can still see the play. The entrance to the rink from the bench also needed to be level with each other so there is no step up needed. The gates to the rink also had to be widened by six inches and their doors needed to be able to open fully.
Team benches are almost ready for #sledge hockey! The @RichmondOval Operations Team is hard at work retrofitting the North Rink for the upcoming 2018 Sledge Hockey Nationals, May 11 - 13 #accessible #sledgehockey @SportAbilityBC pic.twitter.com/VQWDImwoLq
— RichmondSportHosting (@RichmondSH) May 3, 2018
But it wasn’t just the athletes that were considered.
“We really looked at, for the event itself, how we can make the area more accessible for the public as well,” MacDonald said.
In the future, the team behind the retrofit will look at installing a ramp that can access the bleachers and ensure there’s enough accessible seating.
Funding for the project, which cost around $30,000, came from SportAbility, Richmond Sport Hosting and the Olympic Oval to ensure that most of these retrofits are permanent.
“With having a rink like this available, we can look at perhaps an international event such as the world sledge hockey challenge which would be another big step for exposure and awareness for sledge hockey in B.C.,” MacDonald said.
For Jordan Mottl, acting manager at Richmond Sport Hosting, holding the national event in Richmond was an exciting prospect.
“Richmond, in general, we are blessed to be a very, very convenient sport hosting city,” Mottl said, pointing out that the proximity to the airport, number of hotels and West Coast appeal all make an impact.
“The Olympics really transformed Richmond. Richmond is really willing and able to host the world and world class athletes…And of course, performing under the Olympic rings, from an athlete’s perspective, there’s something magical about that as well.”
The 2018 Canadian Sledge Hockey Championships will take place from Friday, May 11 to Sunday, May 13 at the Richmond Olympic Oval. The national event is the top domestic tournament for sledge hockey athletes playing at the provincial level. Four teams – B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec – will play for the gold in 10 games over three days. For more details, visit Sportability's website.
