New Year's Eve On Sleds!

I don't usually go out for New Year's Eve simply because I'm usually asleep shortly after the clock hits midnight. While the evening activities on this day have certainly been reduced by choice, there was a great daytime activity that happened today at the Hockey For All Centre as part of the Winnipeg Jets Challenge Cup event - sledge hockey! And not only was it a showcase event for Sledge Hockey Manitoba, but the game played featured a pile of amazing athletes who had the crowd on the edges of their seats thanks to their skill, speed, and talent on the ice!

If you've been listening to The Hockey Show over the last few months, we've been advocating for greater support for both the Para Men's National Team and the Para Women's National Team from everyone - sponsors, fans, hockey organizations, and more - in order for these athletes and teams to continue their growth and development. We've seen some great partners step up and help, but there's still a distinct lack of assistance from organizations like Hockey Manitoba and Hockey Canada when it comes to pushing the sled game to new heights domestically and internationally.

That was the purpose of the Sledge Hockey Manitoba Showcase today as they looked to expose the game to a large group of people at the Winnipeg Jets Challenge Cup while trying to raise a few funds through a raffle and donation table. The key part of that strategy might be the exposure in that the sport of sledge hockey in Manitoba likely has less than 100 players total in the entire province, so getting some new people into the sport and on the ice would do wonders for potentially growing the game. Based on the crowd and those who watching from behind the glass, I'd say more than a couple hundred people stopped and watched the sledge hockey action, even if they only stopped briefly. For some, that could be all it takes to get them interested!

The action on the ice during the game was fast and fun. Players made great players, bursts of speed to get by defenders were seen, the goalies were incredible with saves on a number of scoring opportunities, and the smiles were infectuous for both the players and those watching as the showcase became a show based on skill and speed. Breakaways were thwarted with great saves, goalmouth scrambles saw players blocking shots and clearing rebounds, and fist bumps on the benches from teammates and coaches were seen all game long!

I need to give a couple of shoutouts to people who deserve some recognition as well. The man to the left, Kyle Calder, was the brains behind this Showcase today and he was the one who invited me to down to witness one heckuva game. He may have been the losing goalie today, but there's absolutely zero doubt that he's making the game better in Manitoba with his passion and dedication to the sport. I need to thank Kyle for the invitation, and it was an honour to watch you defend one of the nets today!

Other people who need to be recognized include Renald Bilodeau, a long-time friend I see at softball during the summer, who I discovered is the President of Sledge Hockey Manitoba! He and I had a great conversation about everything that the organization is trying to do. Logan Bilodeau, his son, was named to the 2022-23 National Para Hockey Team selection camp this past year, and he was downright larcenous with some of his stops in the game today. I also need to mention Jaylene Irwin of Manitoba Possible who played in the game, but is working alongside Sledge Hockey Manitoba to grow the game within Manitoba! These people are doing some of the heavy lifting in Manitoba when it comes to Sledge Hockey. They are amazing people, and it's an honour to know them!

I won't sugarcoat this, folks: neither Hockey Canada nor Hockey Manitoba is doing a lot to support these men and women who play sledge hockey. As we know with abled-bodied hockey, the costs of things like ice-time, travel, training, and nutrition and diet all factor into how far a player's career may go and how long a player may be able to play. And while the costs of a sled and equipment are about equivalent to what able-bodied players pay for their gear, often it's finding places to play and people to play with that is sometimes the biggest struggle for sledge hockey players.

Growth of the game is vital to the sport's longevity, and today's showcase game has me wanting to get out on a sled to see if I can keep up with some of the players. I don't think there's a chance of that happening for a while, but this is the catch: you don't need to have a disability to play the game. Sledge hockey is a game for everyone and truly is an embodiment of "Hockey is for everyone". There were a number of able-bodied people playing in today's game, and I'm here to encourage anybody and everybody to get on a sled and try sledge hockey at least once in whatever corner of the world you live. It's a blast to play and the people who are part of the sport already as welcoming as any group I've ever seen!

I had a blast today in chatting with all the great people who were a part of the Sledge Hockey Manitoba Showcase, and that might be one of the changes you see on this blog come 2023 - more sledge hockey stories and news - as I now know a number of people from the sledge hockey community. I know I'll never be the Wayne Gretzky of sledge hockey by any means, but I can help bring more eyes to the sport by writing about it, talking about it, and promoting it in the hopes that the powers-that-be start to come around and fund the sport like it's part of our national sporting identity.

If hockey is for everyone, hockey funding should be too.

Until next time, see you in 2023!