Blind Hockey Goalie Invited to Play on Sighted Staff: ‘An Extraordinary Expertise!’
For recreation league athletes, there’s absolutely nothing even worse than when 1 of your teammates drops out at the very last minute. When a rec league ice hockey team in Edmonton essential a goaltender, they got a conserve from an unlikely hero.
Nelson Rego is 100% blind: and by filling in as goalie for an acquaintance’s staff, he turned the initial ever blind player to engage in in a sighted group in the province’s history.
Rego plays blind ice hockey for the Edmonton “SeeHawks” and satisfied a further goaltender, John Hunter, inquiring on the internet about equipment modifications and a chest protector. Later on Hunter got injured, and seeking to aid his workforce locate a goalie for a league sport, he attained out on the Edmonton Goalies Facebook web site.
“This is reduced stage stuff so beginners to professional welcome!!! DM me if you’re interested and we’ll get you set up,” wrote Hunter.
“Nelson calls me, and he kind of starts off out with, ‘Hey, how’s the chest protector heading?” Hunter later on informed Edmonton information about the exceptional story. “By the way, I’m not positive if this is a great plan or not but I saw your put up for a goalie sub for your league video game tonight. What do you imagine about me taking part in?’”
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The workforce was “all in” and so Nelson strapped on his package and acquired completely ready for his first-at any time sighted league match.
“Legends are born”

In accordance to the players, they didn’t convey to the referee until finally the puck fall that their goalie was blind—information with which he did not genuinely what to do. In an job interview with CTV Edmonton, Rego, who has also pushed bikes and racecars considering the fact that likely blind, clarifies he keeps himself centered in the purpose by measuring the distance among the posts with his stick and his glove.
Right after he takes advantage of sound to essential into exactly where the puck is and if it’s currently being challenged, all the though next audio instructions from his loving spouse Emelinda, in the stands relaying the action.
The recreation was by no usually means a washout, and even however Rego’s team lost 9-8, he hung in there and attained the regard and admiration of the team.
“They produced no accommodations for me,” Rego explained. “It was just like being one particular of the men on the workforce and that total comradery point that you get with a group which is the factor that I actually appreciate the most.”
Hunter would later publish on Facebook that “These are the nights wherever legends are born.”
“Good for him, he’s one thing bragging legal rights,” said one spectator.
This impressive night time, “a childhood dream” as he would simply call it on Facebook, is just a single stage in his hockey vocation, as Rego also plays in the Global Blind Ice Hockey Federation, and is sponsored by the Edmonton products outfitter Hockey Store of Horrors.
“I’d say just go for it,” Rego states. “If it is anything you want to do, just do it. It’s awesome seeing hockey, but it’s even better playing it.”
(Watch the video clip for this tale down below.)
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Andy Corbley
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