First-ever blind hockey B.C. Cup held at inaugural OneAbility Games

The first-ever B.C. Cup in blind hockey took place this weekend as part of the inaugural OneAbility Games in Richmond.

Athletes are taking the ice at the Richmond Olympic Oval over the weekend to compete in the first-ever provincial blind hockey tournament, as part of a new annual para sport event.

Players from the Vancouver Eclipse, Vancouver Jr. Canucks and Victoria Canucks blind hockey teams, as well as some athletes from Alberta, were drafted onto two squads who will go head-to-head in a series to win the B.C. Cup.

Matt Morrow, executive director of Canadian Blind Hockey, told CTV News the tournament will increase awareness of the growing sport.

He said blind hockey is a “sport for life” with kids as young as three participating in youth programs, and players between the ages of 14 and 65 competing at this tournament.

Blind hockey is very similar to traditional hockey, save for a few tweaks for accessibility, such as never using white uniforms because they blend in with the ice and the boards, Morrow explained.

The biggest difference is the puck, which is three times larger than a regular puck and makes noise.

The B.C. Cup is one of three national and provincial-level tournaments that are taking place at the inaugural OneAbility Games, which organizers say will happen every May long weekend going forward.

The 2026 Wheelchair Basketball National Championships and the Senior National Goalball Championships also kicked off this weekend.

“Bringing all these great events under one roof is really showcasing accessible sport in the province of British Columbia,” Morrow said.

“Blind hockey is a sport that I really admire. They’ve had tremendous growth in Canada and around the world in terms of what they’re doing, and so we absolutely wanted to include them as part of the inaugural OneAbility Games,” director of games, Andrea Carey, told CTV News.

About 900 kids with disabilities participated in seven different sports during the “play” portion of the event, and about 300 competitive athletes came out for the tournaments.

The OneAbility Games medal ceremony takes place on Sunday.