Sledge hockey community devastated by death
Brett LeBlanc loved fantasy football and Russell Winkelaar loved to jab him when the New England Patriots lost.
“They didn’t lose very often,” said Winkelaar, recalling the lighthearted moments LeBlanc shared with his Kawartha Blazers sledge hockey teammates.
The sledge hockey community is reeling after LeBlanc’s body was recovered from the Otonabee River on Monday. The Trent University psychology major, who is legally blind, went missing Nov. 17, leading to an intensive search by police.
“We’re all devastated,” said Winkelaar, a 30-year member and Blazers co-president. “We’re such a small community. All the teams in Ontario know each other and have played each other our whole lives.
“People from North Bay to Windsor to Mississauga were all posting about Brett and hoping we’d get him back safely.”
“He was a pleasure to coach,” said former Blazers coach Adam White. “I’m very saddened for his family and close friends.
My first thoughts went to them. He had a very close relationship with his father Mike who guided him on the ice.”
White said LeBlanc, 24, was a great teammate and always pondered ways for the team to improve.
“He was deeply thoughtful,”
White said.
“He was always thinking about the game and what the best ways of approaching the team would be. He informed himself very well of what was happening in the sledge hockey community; who was doing what and who was on a hot streak. As a coach, I loved getting the information he garnered.”
LeBlanc grew up in Cobourg and started sledge hockey with the Northumberland Predators. He joined the Blazers in 2015 when he came to Trent.
In 2016, he helped the intermediate Blazers win a provincial championship.
In 2018 he joined some friends on the Durham Steelhawks and won another provincial title beating the Blazers in the final. Since he still lived in Peterborough he often joined the Blazers for practice.
He was known across the province as the only blind player in sledge hockey. A genetic disorder left him with six per cent sight in one eye and less in the other.
His father was his eyes on the ice communicating with Brett via a two-way radio to help him locate the puck. His mother Cheryl was always nearby cheering him on.
“His dad was as dedicated to his hockey career as he was. He was there for absolutely every bit of it,” Winkelaar said.
“They were a team. Brett was just one of the guys. He was dedicated and passionate about hockey like all of us.
“He was very often the first one there and the last one out. He liked being around the sport and was always happy when he was at the rink. He was always good for a jab like anybody. He wanted to be taken seriously out there just like we all do.”
Another bond Winkelaar shared with LeBlanc was the opportunity to channel his inner Bob Cole.
To help Brett follow along between shifts, Winkelaar voiced a play-by-play of what was taking place on the ice.
“He always appreciated that and it brought out my longstanding fantasy to do colour commentary for hockey,” Winkelaar said.
“It was always something fun. It brought a little awareness to all the things he might not see that the rest of us took for granted.”
The Blazers opted not to have a season during COVID -19. Winkelaar said sledge hockey requires extra support personnel not permitted by the restrictions on gatherings at arenas. As well, a number of the players have sensitive medical conditions.
There is some thought to holding outdoor games in the winter. Winkelaar said it might provide an opportunity to honour LeBlanc.
“I’m sure we’ll find a way to remember him,” Winkelaar said.