'It’s an inclusive game': Wheelchair Hockey players competing in London, Ont. for Canadian Championship

Wheelchair hockey tournament in London, Ont. Canadian Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association Tournament of Champions in London, Ont.

As players battle for a plastic ball, bouncing all over the court, cheers of encouragement can be heard echoing through the gym at Fanshawe College.

The Canadian Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association (CEWHA) Tournament of Champions is being contested in London, Ont. as more than 60 athletes vie for a National title.

“It truly is an inclusive game,” says Chris Osbourne, the captain of the London Jaguars team.

“The greatest thing about this sport is anybody of any age, or disability has a role in the sport. So you don't have just a bunch of people that can carry the ball, you have people with every disability and they have to play their role. If you're if your ball carrier is really good, but your but your stick-attached players don't play the role properly, then you're going to lose.”

Seven teams from Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and host London are competing over four days to determine the best in the country.

“There is nothing else that serves this population,” says Jeff Preston, a London disability rights advocate, who is helping organize and broadcast the tournament.

“It provides a competitive atmosphere for people that otherwise might not be able to play because of a lack of muscle or physical strength. Here we are on Canada Day weekend playing hockey, but July is also the start of Disability Pride Month. So we're doing it all here.”

Osbourne, is one of the best players in Canada, but also genuinely a great person. When watching him, he could easily dominate the game, but takes turns subbing off, and also gets his fellow London Jaguar teammates involved in the game, rather than try to score goals himself.

Osbourne suffered a spinal cord injury when he was 20 years old, and never believed he’d be involved in competitive sports again.

“I've always loved hockey, and I played minor hockey just house league growing up,” says Osbourne.

“I just kind of slipped into my disability and didn't really want to go out any further. Then one day actually the organizer of this tournament, hunted me down in a grocery store and he's like ‘I’ve got a sport for you’. They brought me out and now it's my family. I show up every Friday religiously and I would never miss a game.”

Preston calls the sport “special” because it serves all types of disabilities.

“I was never strong enough to play sledge hockey,” says Preston.

“I'm very weak. I used electric wheelchair. There were no team sports for me growing up. Now with wheelchair hockey, there's opportunities for people like me to be able to get on the floor to compete, but to do so and I'm playing field that's been leveled so that lots of different ability levels all play a really important part to the team. That's really unique in the world of disability sport, and we're glad that we're able to help foster it here this weekend.”

All games can be watched online live or archived here: https://www.youtube.com/@CEWHATournamentOfChampions.

The tournament wraps up Monday night with a banquet dinner, and Osbourne says while the competition is great, the comradery is what makes these events memorable.

“People from all over Canada come over so we get to make great friends great relationships, have a fierce competition on the floor and then go have some food and drinks after and then get to know each other,”says Osbourne.

“This is personally my third tournament and after the first one I was just hooked.”