B.C. Kids With Vision Loss Discover Hockey in a New Way
The ice at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre sounded a little different this week — not from blades or sticks, but from the steady rattle of a steel puck. For 16 kids from across Greater Victoria, that sound was the start of something they weren’t sure they would ever experience: hockey made for them.
Most of the children were stepping onto the ice for the first time, some gripping the boards, others taking careful steps. Volunteers and three Victoria Royals players — Ethan Eskit, Nolan Stewart, and Cohen Massey — guided them with patience and excitement.
A Sport Once Thought Impossible
For Corbin Johnson, program coordinator with the Canadian Blind Hockey Association, the moment was deeply personal. Growing up with sight loss, he believed hockey was out of reach.
“I gave up on hockey as a kid because I didn’t know blind hockey existed,” he said. “Seeing these kids try it for the first time is emotional every single time.”
Johnson said the fear of skating is real for any child — and becomes even more daunting with sight loss. Watching them overcome that fear is the part he says “never gets old.”
How Blind Hockey Works
Blind hockey uses a set of adaptations designed to make the sport accessible:
- A steel puck three times the size of a normal one, packed with ball bearings so players can hear it
- Nets lowered by one foot to keep shots trackable
- A required pass in the offensive zone before a shot, signalled by a whistle
- Goalies who must be fully blind under the rules
“Once you hear that rattle, you know where the play is going,” Johnson said. “These changes open the door for everyone.”
A Big Day for Six-Year-Old William
On the bench, Trevor Cowburn watched his six-year-old son William inch forward, smiling with every push.
“Seeing that smile melts my heart,” he said. “He’s having the time of his life.”
William lives with significant vision loss and relies heavily on his peripheral sight. The family has been open about his condition, including tough moments — like being told recently that he’ll never be able to drive.
“But he gets to play sports,” Trevor said. “Moments like this mean everything.”
William is already part of the South Island Ravens, a program known for its inclusivity. His dad says it has helped build his confidence, and Wednesday’s skate strengthened it even more.
Blind Hockey is Growing Across B.C.
This year has been a major one for blind hockey in the province. The Canadian Blind Hockey Association partnered with the Vancouver Canucks through the Canucks for Kids Fund to launch the Victoria Canucks Blind Hockey Team — an all-ages program now running weekly at Panorama Recreation Centre.
Johnson pushed for the Canucks’ involvement from the start.
“I told everyone, we need the skate logo on board — it fits perfectly,” he said. “Once they saw what blind hockey was about, they jumped in.”
Weekly sessions run Sundays from 2:10 to 3:30 p.m., and new participants are welcome.
A Day That Sparked Pure Joy
For Johnson, for Trevor, and for every kid rattling that steel puck down the ice, the trial wasn’t about performance or skill.
It was proof that hockey can evolve — sounding different, looking different, and still carrying the same joy that generations of Canadians have grown up with.
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