0:12  
This may sound like a typical hockey, but if you listen closely, you can hear something else.

0:26  
That's the sound of the puck. He makes that sound because the players are blind. The Toronto I saw was Ontario's only blind hockey team. Blind hockey is similar to regular hockey. But there are a few differences. All the players are blind. Their vision ranges from legally blind to totally blind. And as you heard, the puck makes noise. And it's a little bigger and slower than a traditional puck. The nets are only three feet high. That's about a foot lower than a regulation that this is to keep the puck low. It only makes noise when it's touching the ice. The Ice House have been around since 1972. This is Wayne synchrony. He's been playing for the ice house for 21 years, and is the team's General Manager.

1:11  
So it's just fun to be able to, to get back on the ice and in play hockey, and now the sport is grown. So we actually play in tournaments all the time. So it's competitive. So it's it's great for people that had the opportunity to play competitive hockey before. You know, you play in tournaments. And it's it's a lot of fun with people from all over Canada, and also all over the US.

1:49  
When Wayne says the team currently has 26 players between 20 and 79 years old. This season, the team has added a few new players, including Chaz mesoraco, Chaz lost his vision this past July. Before that he played regular hockey. But now he's starting over only two games into blind hockey. He still has a lot to learn.

2:12  
I came home last week for the first time assuming these guys wouldn't really know how to skate or pass the puck and I actually puke last game, I was skating so hard. And then I came back again, I'll be playing every Sunday from now on. It's a really competitive hockey a lot harder, a lot harder than I was anticipating it to be. Especially to be knowing I'm playing with a almost 80 year old man who I couldn't tell was out there like he skates just as hard as the rest of us. I hope that I can skate like that

2:38  
when I'm at chances experience is typical of first time players. It takes everyone a while to get used to listening for the puck. Randy banks has been playing for a year. The puck is

2:49  
you got it. I guess because my vision is still not too bad. I tend to see the puck before I am not used to the hearing of it yet. I'm starting to get used to it. But and it the puck is a lot there's less action with that puck it doesn't bounce the same when it hits the boards it kind of it moves slower. So all that takes into effect when you're passing and you know receiving you got to you got to take that into account and and then the smaller nets and course and and the goalies so yeah that they have to be blind so it's um it's it's been it's it's different, but it's been fun. So

3:44  
the difficulties for the players goes beyond what happens on the ice. Just getting to the rink every week can be a challenge. That's why the families and support systems of each player are so important. 10 Mitsuko says his wife plays a huge role in him being able to play on a weekly basis.

4:09  
You have wine guy, so

4:13  
for me, the biggest support is my family. My wife had drugged me and another player here every week and she winds up talking to people in the hallway, you know, telling me what why not okay. Also, she helped us get the equipment out of the storage room and, and you know, it's the most important feature for my next wife will be that she has a driver's license in the car.

4:36  
Blind hockey teams in Vancouver and Calgary all get support from their city's NHL teams. That's not the case for the ice house. veteran player David Burnett says he'd love to have a relationship with the Leafs.

4:49  
It'd be awesome just just the exposure. Sometimes some of the equipment, it'd be great. Just the encouragement with people like that, that and help and when we're going to to various places that have transportation covered, but be awesome. Love of the blind people aren't that well off in terms of job prospects on that. And so funding to go, for example, the western Canada, we're going down to Pittsburgh, very challenging for a lot of them. And so if we had the backing of the professionals, that would be something that really make a difference for us.

5:25  
Luca demont, is program director for Canadian blind hockey says there's been no discussions with the lease

5:33  
is you know what, it's something that, like both parties aren't discussing anything to be completely honest. However, something that I hope and wishing for, for this is for the sport, because usually find a big market team gets involved, it's going to help not only the team, but it'll help the sport as a whole. In the meantime,

5:51  
the team is always looking for volunteers to help out.

5:55  
Dustin just be the contact myself awaiting one of the members just explain how they're there's different ways there's always different ways to help touch on a greater number of them from brides and just just die. nights is huge thing. fundraising is also big. With more fundraising destiny, this team would be allowed to grow there many other tournaments that are across the country, summer camps.

6:22  
Despite the struggles of getting everyone to the rink, and not having the same support of some of the other blind hockey teams in Canada, just being able to play means a lot to the players. This is 10 minutes ago, he turns 80 in a few months.

6:37  
That's fun that's hanging out with a guy that's part of it social thing. I know some of the talk to some players and weapons, talk to their wives, their families and they've had been obviously they've had depression was I lost and being able to play hockey, you're doing something that sighted people can do. So you don't feel left out and you you can't feel sorry for yourself. The other guys are razzing you like any other hockey dressing room, and you realize you're not alone. No, you're not the only one who's going to whatever problems is bothering you. But it's almost like psychotherapy in a way I guess.

7:22  
For the Ryerson documentary unit, I'm Nicolas Cage.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai