Canadian Blind Hockey mourns the passing of the original Blind Hockey superfan – Massimo DeMontis – who passed away January 2 after a lengthy illness. Massimo was a driving force in the inception of Canadian Blind Hockey which was recently celebrated in his 2024 induction into the Canadian Blind Hockey Hall of Fame alongside his wife Sandy.
Massimo was the father of Canadian Blind Hockey founder Mark DeMontis and Canadian Blind Hockey’s Program Director and National Team GM, Luca DeMontis. He was their biggest supporter and the Canadian National Blind Hockey Team’s number 1 fan.
“Big Mass” as he was known played a significant role in supporting the start of Canadian Blind Hockey programming in Canada, and he was proud of his family’s immeasurable contributions to making hockey accessible to Canadians who were blind or partially sighted.
He loved cheering on the national team and his sons, but more than anything he loved watching and cheering on the children and youth players at the annual Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament from his perch beside the merchandise table in his trademark fedora and leather jacket.
All of our thoughts are with Sandy, Luca, Mark and the entire DeMontis family during this difficult time.
Be sure to have an espresso and have a toast to Big Mass this week, he will be missed!
