Paralympic sledge hockey

We took in a sledge hockey game on Saturday, the opening day of competition of the Paralympic Games in Vancouver. We didn’t go to any live events during the Olympics, but the Paralympics held more interest for me. My Dad was a paraplegic for about 23 years before he passed away in 1991. The Vancouver Paralympics got me to thinking about him and how he would have been excited to see this event unfold so close to home.

My dad was involved in target shooting with a small club in New Westminster for a number of years. He got quite good at it. My Mom gave me the plaques that he won, and they’re mostly inscribed with “Expert” level. I remember in the late ‘80’s my parents traveled to a few competitive events in BC. At each event they seemed to acquire commemorative duffel bags. I know I have three different ones, but I could only find two of them in preparation to write this article.

Two of the three events were in 1988; “The BC Championships for the Physically Disabled” was held July 14-17 in Trail, BC, and the “BC Summer Games“ were in Victoria from July 28 to 31.

I wanted to know the names of the events, because I was wondering how come he’d never mentioned the Paralympics. At the sledge hockey match I learned that the Paralympics only came into existence in 1992, after my father died.

Canada’s matches were already sold out by the time we got our act together to buy tickets. The next best thing, we thought, to seeing Canada play was to at least see a game on the day the Games opened. The match we saw was between Norway and Sweden. By the way, I learned that sledge hockey was invented in Sweden.

It turned out to be a tight game. Sweden scored in the first period, but you really get a feel for how different the game is since the players have to propel the sledge with their arms, while stick handling the puck at the same time. The goalies have an even harder time of it trying to defend the net. The puck that was scored on Norway crossed the goal line so slowly I could really feel for the goalie as he tried had to position his sledge before he could actually defend against the shot. It was like we were all watching it in slow motion.

Another interesting side note about watching a match in which one’s home team is not involved is that it can be challenging to know who to cheer for. At first all I could think of is that this game would be IKEA versus the Norwegian curling pants, those wild diamond patterned pants of the Olympic men’s curling team. But after Sweden’s goal I found myself pulling for Norway, especially as they began to pull away from Sweden in shots taken on net. In the 2nd period the clang of the puck hitting the crossbar was clearly audible. By the end of regulation time the shots on goal were 22-7 in Norway’s favour.

All in all, the spectators were treated to a fine game, complete with a 5 minute overtime period, plus a shoot-out, which also went right to the end. So close to the end in fact, I began to wonder what would come after a tied shoot-out. Another 5 minute overtime period? Norway’s winning goal prevented me from finding out.