ABOUT US

About Sledge Hockey of Eastern Ontario

Sledge Hockey of Eastern Ontario is an association made up of handicapped athletes, their families, coaches and volunteers who take part in a wonderful sport called sledge hockey (also named “sled hockey” by our friend from the USA). The association has a long history dating back about 30 years. Initially, the Ottawa-Carleton Sledge Hockey and Ice Picking Association (OCSHIP) organised the sport in the region when ice picking races were held out of doors, eventually, playing sledge hockey became the predominant sport given the interest and the increased availability of arenas.

Sledge Hockey is a team sport that disabled and non-disabled participants can play on an equal basis. Sledge hockey conforms to the rules and form of traditional hockey. The skills required to control and propel the sledge adds a new element of excitement and challenge to a game already well known for its fast pace and outstanding team work. In sledge hockey the athlete sits low to the surface of the ice on top of a tubular frame. Metal runners serving as skates are attached to the underside of the sled. Picks are used to propel the players across the ice and are also used to pass the puck. Athletes wear the same hockey equipment as authorized by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association.

Team’s official web page can be found at: http://www.sheo.ca/

Sledge Hockey History

A direct descendant of Ice Hockey, Ice Sledge Hockey was invented at a rehabilitation centre in Stockholm, Sweden, during the early 1960s by a group of Swedes who, despite their physical disability, wanted to continue playing Hockey. The men modified a metal frame sled, or sledge, with two regular-sized Ice Hockey skate blades that allowed the puck to pass underneath. Using round poles with bike handles for sticks, the men played without any goaltenders on a lake south of Stockholm.

The sport caught on and, by 1969, Stockholm had a five-team league that included players with a physically disability and able-bodied players. That same year, Stockholm hosted the first international Ice Sledge Hockey match between a local club team and one from Oslo, Norway. During the 1970s, teams from these two countries played once or twice a year. Several other countries began to establish teams, including Great Britain (1981), Canada (1982), USA (1990), Estonia and Japan (1993).

Two Swedish national teams played an exhibition match at the inaugural Örnsköldsvik 1976 Paralympic Winter Games in Sweden. However, Ice Sledge Hockey did not become an official event until the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games. Canada, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, USA, Japan and Estonia have dominated international competitions, but the sport is growing with club teams now established in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic, Russia and Korea.

Source: http://paralympic.nortia.org/Content/Sports/Winter%20Sports/Sledge%20Hockey.asp?langid=1

Participants

Sledge hockey is open to disabled and non-disabled players. Girls and Boys play on the same team. There are three divisions or classifications that players are grouped in depending on skill level. The divisions are Junior, Intermediate and competitive House League (which includes some members of Canada’s Paralympics Team). Potential athletes need good upper body strength and flexibility; the rest is practice. Athletes have about 2 hours of ice time a week, and participate in a number of tournaments during the year.

Our group of young athletes capture the hearts of everyone with whom they've come in contact. We are one of the few programs of its kind in Canada involving both physically and mentally challenged athletes on the ice. Our athletes are afflicted with such disabilities as autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, down syndrome and the like. Their success we measure in smiles not medals, in pride not ribbons, in determination and courage, not wins and losses.