Looking Back at 2009 Hockey Festival

The 5th Annual USA Hockey Disabled Festival was held in Buffalo, N.Y.  The event drew 1,500 athletes representing 42 teams from more than 40 U.S. cities.  Here's a report from USA Hockey.

JJ O’Connor,  chair of USA Hockey’s disabled section, said, “It goes by so quickly and you have so much while you’re here. It’s almost a blur, it’s sad to see it end. It’s so enjoyable to watch these kids play and compete and have fun and learn to play together. To meet other players on other teams who are just like they are....I think it was a huge success. There is something for everyone here. We have all different walks of life. We have people who are in wheelchairs. We have people who are missing limbs; we have people who can’t hear. I think everybody could walk away with a smile on their face.”

That event produced this photo that has come to represent the spirit of disabled hockey.  In it,  a player from the Tomahawks takes a break from the game to pick up a stick for a much younger player from the Baltimore Saints.