The typical equipment that a hockey team uses are sticks, skates, pucks, helmets and pads.
Ask the players about sleds being used on ice, and they would probably tell you they don’t belong.
The Wildcat Varsity hockey team found out that sleds do belong on the ice when they particiapted in a friendly scrimmage against the Michigan Sled Dogs, the only adult sled hockey team in the state, on Saturday, Oct. 24.
According to their website, The Sled Dogs currently consist of 12 male and one female athlete with a variety of disabilities including amputees, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and spinal chord injuries.
The teammates range in age from 14 to their mid-40’s, and they are coached by by five volunteer coaches who work diligently with each athlete to attain their full potential.
They are in their sixth season of existence.
Varsity Head Coach Dave Hague found out about the Sled Dogs after his company, The Hartford, became a sponsor for the United States Paralmypics team and they had done an event with the Sled Dogs in the past.
‘I thought what a neat idea to partner with them and bring the two teams together for a friendly game . . . it was certainly different and alot of people aren’t aware of the team,? said Coach Hague.
Before each team put on their gear and skated on the ice, the Sled Dogs spent a 45 minutes introducing themselves and explaining how the equipment worked.
Sled hockey is a sit-down version of hockey where a sled is used to help the players get around the ice. The sled is usually aluminum, and has on it a bucket, two skate blades under the frame, a skag in the front to help keep the front from hitting the ice and straps to keep the player secure.
Other than the sled, the biggest difference between sled hockey and regular hockey is the stick. Instead of using one stick that measures 63 inches, sled players use two sticks, a right and a left, with metal picks on the end that are used to propel the players. The sticks are roughly three feet.
The one thing they forewarned the Wildcats about would be that after playing, their abdominal muscles would be extremely sore. ‘I’ve tried it once myself and it is unbelieveable how sore you are the next day; using all your upper body like that in a skiing motion just to get around let alone you fall and trying to get back up,? Hague said.
After the presentation, the Wildcats presented the Sled Dogs with a $350 check that went towards helping pay for their weekly ice time at the Great Lakes Sports City in Fraser.
It took some time for the Wildcats to get used to the sled, as they kept tipping over and running into the boards and each other because they couldn’t stop.
When the scrimmage began,a majority of the time was spent in the Wildcats zone, with the Sled Dogs zipping around the ice, passing the puck in-between their sleds and behind their backs to set up open shots.
As time went on and the Wildcats grew more comfortable in their sleds, they were able to move the puck out of their zone and score. ‘It was a great experience to see how successful those guys on the Sled Dogs are, hear their motivation and (see) what they do on a day-to-day basis. It’s just incredible,? Hague said.