COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The fourth-annual USA Hockey Blind Classic and the sixth-annual USA Hockey Special Classic will be held this weekend (Nov. 15-17) at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota.
The three-day event is open to the public and free of charge.
The 2024 USA Hockey Blind Classic will feature six teams, divided into three different tiers of competition, and a total of 48 players. For more information, including a full event schedule, click here.
A total of 16 teams and over 240 players from around the country will participate in the 2024 USA Hockey Special Classic. Teams will be split into three different tiers based on level of competition. For more information, including a full event schedule, click here.
About Special Hockey
The special hockey discipline is intended to give people with a wide range of cognitive and developmental disabilities the chance to play the sport of ice hockey in an environment that is adapted to their level of ability.
Special hockey emphasizes fun through teamwork, social interaction, and improving the quality of life through on- and off-ice activities.
About Blind Hockey
One of the fastest-growing segments of disabled hockey, blind hockey features an adapted puck that makes noise and is both bigger and slower than a traditional puck.
Players’ levels of vision range from legally blind – approximately 10 percent vision or less – to totally blind.
Custom three-foot-high nets are used (rather than the traditional four-foot nets) to keep the puck low to the ice so it can make noise and be tracked aurally.
NOTE: For the most up-to-date news on USA Hockey’s disabled hockey program, including information about all six disciplines of the sport, click here.
Source: usahockey.com