All of John O’Connell’s worries and problems disappear when he’s on the ice.
O’Connell, who plays both blind and Warrior hockey, has been named this year’s USA Hockey Disabled Athlete of the Year.
“I’m really excited about it,” O’Connell said. “It was a shock. I have a big smile on my face just thinking about it right now.”
USA Hockey first gave out this award in 2005. It annually recognizes the outstanding perseverance and dedication by a disabled hockey player through demonstrating the ability to overcome obstacles in the pursuit of excellence on and off the ice.
“He’s pretty amazing. He’s a positive force in the locker room and everyone who comes in contact with him has nothing but wonderful things to say,” said Maureen Thompson-Siegel, chairperson for USA Hockey’s disabled section. “He’s a great ambassador for the sport. It’s important to tell his story, and he’s spreading awareness about the game.”
O’Connell, who is from New Jersey, is legally blind with a retina problem and travels four hours one way on public transportation to meet teammates for practice. He leaves his house around 11 a.m. and if there aren’t any transportation issues, O’Connell is home by 10 p.m.
O’Connell pays more than $50 for public transportation alone, including trips through Penn Station in Manhattan, bus trips, trains and Uber rides. But O’Connell doesn’t mind, as long as he’s able to play hockey and skate with his teammates.
“People stop me all the time and sometimes it freaks them out to see someone carrying a big hockey bag and a cane on public transportation,” O’Connell said. “They come up and ask questions and I’m always really excited to tell them about blind and Warrior hockey. I never view it as a hassle. I view it as what I have to do to get to skate.”
Ted Curtin, who co-founded the New Jersey Warriors, said that kind of a journey would be difficult to navigate for anybody, let alone a person who is 90% blind.
“He doesn’t tell a lot of people how tough it is for him,” Curtin said. “He takes several hours and at least three modes of transportation just to get to the rink and he does it without ever complaining. He’s an inspiration to everyone around him and his attitude is infectious. It makes you realize how important hockey is to so many people because he would do anything to get to that locker room with our guys and girls.”
O’Connell, who went blind when he was in his 50s, explained that he can see, but his peripheral and night vision is not good. O’Connell said that he can’t see others next to him, so it’s like walking around a crowded area while looking out of the scope of a sniper rifle.
“Once I get to the rink, none of that is a problem because it’s a relatively safe environment,” O’Connell said. “The ice skating, I don’t have a problem with that, and I have all this equipment on, so I can’t get hurt, and if you go far enough, you run into the boards. Getting to the practices and games, that’s the hard part. For everyone else who is disabled, you have to overcome challenges, but the least of your challenges is ice skating because there are plenty of people to help you at the rink.”
O’Connell is a former pilot who served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force. He separated from the Air Force at one time but returned to active duty and enlisted again after the 9/11 attacks.
“All he wants to do is give back to others,” Curtin said. “It’s in his DNA. When he first came into the program, he was surprised because he expected to be turned down and pushed aside and we put him right onto the ice. He’s a great person, he brings a lot to the program and exemplifies what we’re all about, and that’s building camaraderie, a sense of team and healing through hockey.”
O’Connell appreciated the warm welcome from Curtin and the New Jersey Warriors.
“Not only did they embrace it, the next thing you know, I was playing left wing,” O’Connell said. “Then, we were playing a game at West Point, we had a shootout at the end, I didn’t expect my name to be called and I was in the lineup. It’s hard for me to control a regular puck and my goal was to not lose the puck on my stick. Not only did I not lose the puck, but I scored a goal and I didn’t realize it until I turned toward the net and everyone was cheering.”
In January, O’Connell spent six weeks at a blind rehabilitation center in Mississippi to prepare for the Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament in Toronto.
“I didn’t want to embarrass myself,” O’Connell said. “I found a hockey team in Mississippi, brought my gear to Biloxi and skated four times in six weeks with them. I was a regular guy out there, just like the Warriors. They embraced me and didn’t treat me any different.”
It’s that kind of dedication, playing blind and Warrior hockey, traveling multiple hours to practice, taking his gear to Mississippi to skate and more that has O’Connell coming back to the rink.
“I enjoy the interaction and just hanging out,” O’Connell concluded. “That’s what disabled hockey is all about. The game is challenging, but what really brings disabled hockey players together is the interaction with people who are going through the same things that you’re going through.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Source: usahockey.com