Hello, Blind Hockey community!
Canadian Blind Hockey is thrilled to announce that the 2022 Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament is returning to the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The event takes place from March 25 to 27, and will feature children, youth, and adult competitions with players from across Canada and around the world.
We are requesting all interested players complete pre-registration by next Friday, February 18 to guarantee your spot. Please complete the Google Form Pre-Registration here. Final registration including payment will commence in March.
Prior to the tournament, Canadian Blind Hockey will be also hosting the first-ever Girls & Women’s Blind Hockey Summit, as well as a Children & Youth Multi-Sport Camp for that will introduce a variety of Para sport opportunities on Thursday, March 24. Thanks to grants from the WISE Fund, the Daryl K Seaman Canadian Hockey Fund at the Calgary Foundation, and the participation of the Government of Canada, accommodations on Wednesday, March 23 will be provided at no cost to those participating in these two camps. More information is below.
The format of the tournament will depend on final registration numbers, however, we anticipate hosting an event similar to 2018 and offering Children and Youth, Adult Low Vision & Development, and Open Division Tournaments. The Tournament will begin Friday morning and end no later than 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon, so players should book travel accordingly.
The registration fee for the tournament is $150 plus hotel. The hotel accommodations are $75 per night if you share a room with another player, and $150 per night for your own room. Our most common registrations are typically:
- Three nights’ accommodation with another player: $375 total cost
- Three nights’ accommodation on your own or with family: $600 total cost
Canadian Blind Hockey proudly offers a financial assistance program so that cost is not a barrier to participating in Blind Hockey. Should you be interested in participating in the tournament but require financial support please contact Executive Director Matt Morrow at mattmorrow@blindicehockey.com.
Players from outside of Canada who wish to participate are responsible for determining and following all arrival requirements into Canada. Current Government of Canada travel guidelines are available here.
In order to enter the arena all players, volunteers, and spectators age 12 and older will be required to be fully vaccinated as defined by the province and provide their proof of vaccination.
Girls & Women’s Blind Hockey Summit Information
Canadian Blind Hockey has been developing a Girls & Women’s program stream with a series of virtual events, and we are thrilled to announce the first in-person Girls and Women’s Blind Hockey Summit! The event takes place on Thursday March 24 & Friday March 25 as part of the 2022 Nationals.
In addition to team building and training opportunities, we also anticipate having the first-ever Women’s Blind Hockey Showcase Game on Friday, March 25. This is also the perfect opportunity for players who would like to participate in Nationals but do not want to compete in a co-ed setting. There is no additional cost to participate in the Girls and Women’s Summit and Wednesday night accommodations will be provided at no cost thanks to grants from the WISE Fund and Daryl K Seaman Canadian Hockey Fund at the Calgary Foundation. Preliminary Schedule:
2022 Girls and Women’s Blind Hockey Summit
Thursday, March 24
9:45am-10:00am Welcome Arrival Mattamy Athletic Centre
10:00am-10:30am Travel to Hockey Hall of Fame
10:30am-12:00pm Hockey Hall of Fame Tour
12:30pm-1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm-2:00pm Dressing Room/Practice Prep
2:00pm-4:00pm Girls and Women Summit Practice
6:00pm-8:00pm Dinner Banquet at Hotel
For more information and to get involved with planning the event please contact our Girl’s and Women’s Program Coordinator Laura Mark at lauramark@blindicehockey.com.
Children & Youth Multi-Sport Camp
Canadian Blind Hockey has received a grant from Sport Canada to expand our annual Summer Development Camp to offer a multi-sport division for children and youth to experience a variety of Para sports in addition to Blind Hockey. As we had to cancel the 2020 camp due to provincial health guidelines, we are adding a one-day camp in addition to the Children and Youth Division at the 2022 Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament. Participants will have the chance to experience a variety of Para sport opportunities with peers from across the country.
There is no additional cost to participate in the Children & Youth Camp and Wednesday night accommodations will be provided at no cost as this project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada. Preliminary Schedule:
2022 Children & Youth Multi-Sport Camp
Thursday, March 24
9:45am-10:00am Welcome Arrival Mattamy Athletic Centre
10:00am-11:00am Goalball
11:00am-12:00pm Blind Soccer (5-A-Side)
12:00pm-2:00pm Lunch and Para sport Workshop
2:00pm-3:00pm Blind Tennis
3:00pm-4:00pm Beep Baseball / Kickball
5:00pm-: 600pm Pizza Party
For more information please contact Canadian Blind Hockey Program Manager Luca DeMontis lucademontis@blindicehockey.com.
We hope to welcome you all to Toronto in March!
