Hockey players with sensory needs accomodated with inclusive teddy bear toss

A team of hockey players living with cognitive and physical challenges were given the chance to be included in a hockey tradition that many may have never experienced before.

On Sunday morning, the SuperHEROS hockey team hosted its first ever teddy bear toss at the Max Bell Centre.

Hockey mom, Karen Kelm got the idea from her son and team goaltender Noah, who was diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome.

“He just wanted to be a part of the teddy bear toss,” said Kelm.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for kids to be a part of something that maybe they couldn’t be a part of the typical teddy bear toss,” she said.

Kelm said traditional atmospheres such as the Calgary Hitmen teddy bear toss that was also held on Sunday can be too overwhelming for some of the kids with sensory needs due to uncontrollable cheering and loud noises. So their event was planned in a controlled environment and they knew exactly when the first goal would be scored.

“Then we can prepare some of the kids where it might be too loud for them or maybe they don’t want to be a part of the actual tossing of the teddy bears,” said Kelm.

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The goal that signaled fans to throw more than 300 teddy bears onto the ice was scored by 12-year-old Teo Finley.

“It was fun,” said Finley describing scoring the goal that sent the teddy bears onto the ice.

SuperHEROS executive director Kevin Hodgson says events like the teddy bear toss are just one of many ways the league is trying to be more inclusive for these kids who face challenges daily and just want to play the game.

“There wasn’t a pathway for them,” says Hodgeson. “The game of hockey expected them to adapt to meet the needs of hockey, we needed to adapt the game of hockey to meet the needs of our players.”

Read more: Calgary-created hockey program giving kids chance to be SuperHEROS

Helping with Sunday’s event were the Calgary Northstars U17 AAA team whose players also act as mentors to the SuperHERO players on the ice.

“It just means so much for them to have the same opportunity because they don’t get the same chances as us. So for them to have the same opportunities as us it’s really nice,” said defenceman Nolan Paquette.

Assistant coach Dan Giasson says its important for his team to be able to give back and not take what they’re able to do for granted.

“It’s really cool that we can step out of the elite stream as they say and just kind of be out there with kids who just want to play the game,” said Giasson.

“They’re hockey players just like we are, doesn’t matter what the jersey is, we’re just all hockey players.”