The Central Alberta Bullseye Blind Hockey team is gearing up for season six, set to launch on Oct. 5.
"The first one or two times I went out for a blind hockey event, people would talk and visit about everything. But you also definitely talk about your life experiences. There is so much value in being around a community that is sharing similar experiences and challenges - and successes as well," said Dustin Butterfield, the team's founder.
"We have a great group of people, and I have definitely heard them talk about the value of having this group of friends and teammates, about the camaraderie of it, and how much they enjoy socializing with the others. It's been pretty amazing.
"in our group, and in all of the Canadian blind hockey teams I know of, you have people who play professionally or for recreation. And the more important part of being in the sport (for many) is the networking, and the interacting with people."
According to Canadian Blind Hockey, “The sport uses some modified rules and equipment, most notably the adapted puck that makes noise and is larger than a traditional puck. At the recreational level, all athletes must be visually impaired, while at the competitive level, all players must be classified as legally blind, which is defined as having approximately ten percent vision or less.”
Another difference from regular hockey is that the nets are slightly lower, too.
As for the team, Butterfield said things are going really well. "We have finished five seasons, and last year, I'd have to say was our best."
A main goalie for the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings, Arik Weersink, and a couple of other Kings players volunteered with the team over the season, too.
"He was able to give our goalie the best tutoring he had had as well," said Butterfield, adding Weersink agreed to help out by running some practices, too. "That worked out really well - he was just awesome.
"Now, we have a core group of eight people, and our first woman joined halfway through last season."
Butterfield would be happy to have more members of the Kings and Queens teams and potentially some from the school's adapted physical education course sign on as volunteers this season as well.
In terms of spreading the word about the team, Butterfield said they've made plenty of progress over the past few years.
"We could always use more. The biggest success we could have would be to have more youth out," he said. "It's great for us adults to be out there having fun and playing, but wa want to promote it and build it within our youth - they could also really benefit from the sport," he said.
Raised in Stettler County, Butterfield launched into rodeo for a time during his youth, but hockey was never off the radar. In 2017, he made a key connection — he attended a dinner for Fighting Blindness Canada in Edmonton and met a couple of guys who played on a blind hockey team there.
Later that fall, he took part in a Leduc blind hockey tournament. Two games into that, he was absolutely hooked.
Butterfield, who has a genetic eye disease that has left him partially sighted with some peripheral vision, played minor hockey from about the age of five or six until he was 11.
A few years ago, he also took part in a video called Our Community, Blind Hockey which is on YouTube. It explores what Central Alberta Bullseye Blind Hockey is all about.
Looking ahead, the team is hosting the 'Sight Night Red Deer Fun Run and Walk 2024' on the evening of Oct. 19 at Bower Ponds.
Participants can register for a 3km run/walk, a 5km run or a 10km run.
Those who take part have the unique experience of watching as headlamps bob and weave along the pathways, creating a sense of excitement and camaraderie, noted the website.
Folks can register by heading to www.asrab.ab.ca, the website of the Alberta Sports and Recreation Association (a supporter of the team as well). Click on the Red Deer tab under the 'Sight the Night' header.
As to the sport in general, Butterfield again encourages more people to check it out.
"Step out there, and give it a try. it would be great to see people come out one or two times, and find out if this is something that they would enjoy."
For more details, find Central Alberta Bullseye Blind Hockey on Facebook.
