F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M
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Though still in its infancy, the Minnesota Wild
Blind Hockey program is thriving.
BLIND HOCKEY BEGINS
Blind hockey is still relatively new to the United
States. Its origins can be traced to Canada in the
early 1970s, but the sport wasn't officially intro-
duced into the U.S. until 2014.
During the first-ever Blind Hockey Summit
held in Newburgh, N.Y., in October 2014, local
players and visiting Canadian players played
games and held "Try It" sessions for anyone who
was interested. The response prompted USA
Hockey to hold a similar event at the 2015 USA
Hockey Disabled Hockey Festival in Buffalo, N.Y.,
"It's all about sound.
There are ball bearings inside
these pucks and they roll
around inside the metal."
– Mike Hutchens
"The Minnesota hockey
community has embraced us
so much ... We also have the
Hendrickson Foundation and
UBS Financial, who are also
huge sponsors of what we do.
They've outfitted our players
with jerseys, with jackets—
really anything they need."
– Toni Gillen
