When Corbin Watson takes the ice at the Paralympic Winter Games in Milan, he won’t just be representing Canada. He’ll be representing Kingsville — the small town that raised him, rallied behind him and helped carry him back after everything changed. Watson, a goaltender for Canada’s national para ice hockey team, is preparing for his third Paralympics after already winning bronze in 2014 and silver in 2018. His journey to the international stage began in the same place it did for generations of Canadian kids: the local rink. “For me, hockey was my childhood dream. I always wanted to play in the NHL or go further,” Watson said. “[The ice] was my home, we were at the rink all the time.” His parents made sure he was always there — especially his father. “He was one of my biggest supporters,” he said. “He drove me either the early morning practices or the late at night times. He was always there for me.” Watson’s life changed forever in 2006, when he was 20 years old. A serious car crash left him with multiple broken bones and a decision that would define his future. “It left me in a pretty bad state. I was in the hospital for four months, and around the three month time they told me that I had two options with my leg,” he said. He chose to amputate his lower right leg. “I never looked back and just sort of started my life again.” Two years later, he returned to the ice — this time in a sled — joining the Windsor Ice Bullets and discovering para hockey. “I was a little hesitant at first. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as soon as I went out with the team and actually tried it, I fell in love with the game again.” What followed was one of the most decorated para hockey careers in Canadian history. Watson helped Canada win Paralympic medals, world championships and countless international tournaments — including posting three shutouts at the 2014 Paralympics and winning world championship gold in 2013, 2017 and 2024. He stepped away from the national team after the 2018 Games to focus on his growing family — he and his wife are now raising three children — but returned to competition with renewed focus ahead of Milan. At the 2025 Para Hockey Cup, the final major tournament before the Games, Watson made 16 saves in the gold medal game against the United States, proving he remains one of the country’s top goaltenders. Through it all, he never left behind the town that shaped him. Kingsville has honoured Watson’s accomplishments — even naming a street after him — and he still plays in local men’s leagues whenever he’s home. “I still play games in men’s leagues and Kingsville and I enjoy it so much. And then going to the Paralympics and playing games that are I’m going to enjoy the same amount and it’s just going to be so much fun,” he said. Despite the bright lights and global stage, Watson says he still sees himself the same way he always has. “I try not to think about it too much because it gets in your head a little bit,” he said. But his hometown of Kingsville can’t help but go all out with excitement. “They always put my name up on the signs cheering for me from back home,” he said. “And it’s great to see. It drives me through the Paralympics to do better.” This year’s Games will carry extra meaning. For the first time, his father won’t be there in person. “He unfortunately passed away last year, so it’s a little different,” Watson said. “I’ll be thinking about him and thinking about home. But I know that’s going to drive me to push myself during the Paralympics.” No matter how far hockey takes him, Watson knows exactly where he belongs. “Something about the small town I just loved,” he said. “It’s small, quiet and it’s perfect for me.”
