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The Bulls are pleased to announce that the Canadian Men's Sledge Hockey Team that will be participating in the Paralympic Winter Games in Torino Italy , will be attending the OHL All Star Event and Family Festival. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the team and learn about their equipment at the Bulls Family Festival, A Celebration of Hockey in the Quinte Region, which will be held at the Wally Dever Arena from 4pm-7pm on Feb 1st. The team will also attend the OHL Luncheon at 11:30am as well as give a demonstration of their skills in the Yardmen Arena from 5:15-6pm, prior to the Bell OHL All Star Classic. ICE SLEDGE HOCKEY Ice Sledge Hockey is the Paralympic version of Ice Hockey and, since its debut on the Paralympic program at the 1994 Lillehammer Paralympic Winter Games, it is quickly becoming one of the biggest attractions for spectators at the Paralympic Winter Games. It is fast-paced, highly physical and played by male athletes with a physical disability in the lower part of the body. Ice Sledge Hockey is currently played in 13 countries. Canada, Norway, USA, Sweden, Japan, Great Britain and Estonia have dominated international competitions, but the sport is growing with teams now established in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic, Russia and Korea.
COMPETITORS Like ice hockey, each team has six players on the ice, including the goaltender. Teams are comprised of a maximum 15 male players per team, including two goaltenders. To be eligible to compete, athletes must have a disability of permanent nature in the lower part of the body that precludes their participation in standing hockey. RULES Ice Sledge Hockey is governed by the IPC through the International Paralympic Ice Hockey Committee. It follows the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) with a few modifications. Athletes sit strapped onto a metal frame that rests on two regular-sized ice-skate blades. The sledge is raised high enough to allow the puck to pass underneath. Athletes use two 75 cm long hockey sticks, with spikes on one end and blades on the other. The spike is used to propel the sledge across the ice, and the slightly curved blade is used to handle the puck. The goaltender may have an additional pick at the base end of his stick and may use an additional stick with a blade or a trapper glove with teeth.
CLASSIFICATION / ELIGBILITY To participate in IPC competitions and sanctioned events (i.e. Paralympic Winter Games), athletes must have an impairment of permanent nature in the lower part of the body of such a degree that it is obvious and easily recognizable and makes ordinary skating – and consequently ice hockey playing impossible. Examples include amputation (leg, foot), paresis (loss of 10 muscle points in both legs), joint immobility, cerebral palsy and leg shortening of at least 7 cm. TORINO PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES Torino Esposizioni will host the Sledge Hockey tournament, located approximately 5km from the Athlete’s Village in Torino. Eight countries will be competing in the tournament during the 2006 Games. Competition takes place over a 7 day period: March 11 – 12 & 14 – 18, 2006, with Canada playing their first game on March 11th. Team Canada will be looking to improve their 4th place finish at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympic Games, by bringing home the gold medal with the help of 10 veteran team players.
Meet the Players
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