The Tournament of Heros creates a community in Calgary on and off the ice

A Calgary group has found a way to share our national sport with young athletes who don't always get the chance to play with their peers.

This weekend, more than 80 kids from across Western Canada gathered in the Calgary locker rooms to put on the skates of the SuperHEROS Spring Friendly Series for the first time.

The Super HEROS program comes from the Hockey Education Society (HEROS). The organization teaches life skills and empowers marginalized youth through hockey.

“HEROS has been around for almost 25 years and we have historically been about providing hockey access to communities where kids live with significant financial barriers to sports, as well as other social barriers,” says Kevin Hodgson, Executive Director. Director of HEROS.

“In 2018, we learned that there was nowhere in Western Canada for children with disabilities to play.”

NEW MEMORIES

This weekend players like Ben Walker had the opportunity to play in a tournament and make new memories and friends.

“I like supporting the team, passing the puck, playing and having fun,” Walker said. “I love playing for SuperHEROS because it has a great name.

“I like the name SuperHEROS,” he added. “It makes me feel like a hero.”

Skating with the SuperHEROS were players from the AMP Flames Sledge Hockey Team and the Calgary Ice Dogs Blind Hockey Team.

Also on the rink is The Grinders from the Calgary Beer League, who raised $20,000 to help make it all possible.

“It's just a group of guys who love playing the game together, they play it for fun and they want to share that with these kids and it's a great opportunity for our kids,” Hodgson said.

For some players, it was their first time playing in a hockey tournament.

In doing so, in addition to building a community on the rink, he also creates a community for the families who cheered on their heroes in the stands.

“It's great to see families enjoying themselves together, to see a mom or dad cry, I never thought I'd be a hockey parent, it's so powerful to see the impact. the whole family,” adds Hodgson.

For more information on the SuperHEROS program, click here.