Hat teams medal at sledge tourney, score lasting friendships and support
Medicine Hat was well represented at the Western Canadian Sledge Hockey Tournament that ran in
Calgary between March 29-31, with five teams competing in both junior and intermediate categories.
More than 50 teams from across Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba competed in the annual tournament, which not only features some of the best sledge players found in Western Canada, but also builds family in a unique sport.
“It’s something I’ve never seen,” said Jodie Colbe with Medicine Hat Adaptive Sport and Recreation. “And it is so heartwarming to watch all the teams come and cheer every other team on, it’s just phenomenal. It’s hard to explain, it just makes your heart happy.”
Several of Colbe’s family members play traditional hockey, and she says there is no comparison to the family atmosphere with sledge hockey.
“It’s totally different, you walk in and everyone says hi to each other and everybody helps each other out,” said Colbe. “If one team is short it’s nothing for another team member to leave their team and go play on another team.
“The family, the support behind it in the sledge community is something I’ve never seen.”
Three local teams brought home hardware from the tournament including one gold medal and two bronze medals.
Both junior teams, aged 16-years-old and under, won gold and bronze medals.
“For some of the juniors it was the opportunity of a lifetime to go,” said Colbe. “To be on that calibre and to be able to play on the Olympic ice was phenomenal. A lot of them have never competed in a tournament on that level.”
Medicine Hat’s veteran team was able to win gold and defend their gold medal title from last year.
“For the juniors that won gold that was pretty spectacular for some of them to win it two years in a row,” said Colbe.
Three intermediate teams, aged 16 years and up, also represented Medicine Hat with one team winning bronze.
Colbe says several local intermediate players had the chance to play alongside players from the national team. And she says all players left with a feeling of belonging to a supportive community that reaches beyond the rink.
“It’s a family,” Colbe said. “The kids get to know a lot of the players. They’ve seen them last year and they get to know them outside of hockey.”