World’s Largest Blind Hockey Tournament

World’s Largest Blind Hockey Tournament Returns to Toronto March 21 – 23, 2025

Reigning NHL Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award Winner

Mark DeMontis to Be Honoured During Opening Ceremonies

Canadian Blind Hockey is thrilled to announce that the 2025 Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament presented by CNIB Foundation is returning to Toronto from March 21 – 23, 2025 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. Now in its 11th year, the tournament has played a significant role in the growth of the Para sport of Blind Hockey across Canada and around the world.

The 2025 Canadian National Blind Hockey Tournament will be the largest Blind Hockey event of all time with 190 players competing – a 19% growth from last year’s previous record! There will be 24 games played across 7 divisions including: Children, Youth, Girls & Women, Low Vision & Development, Open, Select, and for the first-time ever a Masters Series. Players will be representing every province in Canada, as well as the United States, Finland and England.

“This tournament is an annual celebration of how much Canadian Blind Hockey and the Para sport has grown over the past 15 years,” reflects Executive Director Matt Morrow. “This tournament only had 45 players and one division in its first year in 2013, and this year we have more than four times that many players and seven divisions for all ages and skill levels showing that Blind Hockey is for everyone!”

“It’s great to see all the continued growth especially in the children and youth divisions,” he continued, “I’m also particularly excited that we’ve grown enough to offer our first Masters Division for players aged 40 and up. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in Canadians 55 and up and affects over 2.5 million people. I’m sure there are many hockey players out there perhaps struggling with the fact that they think their hockey career is over after losing their vision, and hopefully having this Masters division shows them that their Blind Hockey career can just be getting started.”

The Opening Ceremonies will have a special guest on hand in trophy form, as the Hockey Hall of Fame will be bringing the prestigious NHL Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award to celebrate the reigning winner – Toronto native and Canadian Blind Hockey founder Mark DeMontis. This will be the first time Mark has had the opportunity to celebrate winning an NHL Award with the entire Blind Hockey community, as well as 2000 elementary students from across the TDSB and the TCDSB who will be on hand to witness the best Blind Hockey players on the planet go head-to-head during this special schools-only invitational game.

“The most gratifying thing has been seeing the impact, first-hand, especially with youngsters and their families,” DeMontis said. “It’s always been a goal of mine to show blind or partially sighted youth across the country, and around the world for that matter, that Blind Hockey not only existed, but that they could participate despite their disability.”

This year’s tournament once again features the marquee Select Series with the best Blind Hockey players on the planet competing in a best-of-three series to showcase the Para sport at its highest level.  The top Canadian players will be competing to earn a spot on the 2025 Canadian National Blind Hockey Team that will host the US Blind Hockey Team at the 6^th International Blind Ice Hockey Series in Montreal from April 25 – 27.

Other events leading up to this National Tournament include the 4th annual Girls and Women’s Blind Hockey Summit in partnership with the PWHL Toronto Scepters and the Children & Youth Multi-Sport Camp in partnership with MLSE Launchpad which are both happening on Thursday, March 21.

The tournament will be held at the Mattamy Athletic Centre – formerly Maple Leaf Gardens – and is free and open to the public. All games will be streamed live on the Canadian Blind Hockey YouTube channel. The full tournament schedule is available at canadianblindhockey.com.

This event is made possible by Canadian Blind Hockey’s national program partner the CNIB Foundation and national partners the Lawson Family Foundation, the Daniel Family Foundation, Electra Health, and Manion, as well as support from many tournament partners including grants from the Daryl K Seaman Canadian Hockey Fund at the Calgary Foundation and Jumpstart in support of the Children and Youth Divisions.

Location:

Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens. 50 Carleton St. Toronto, ON, M5B 1J2

About Canadian Blind Hockey:

Canadian Blind Hockey is a national registered charity that changes the lives of children, youth, and adults who are blind or partially sighted through local, regional, and national Blind Hockey programs, camps, and tournaments. Canadian Blind Hockey programs are made possible by our National Program Partner the CNIB Foundation and generous donors and sponsors across Canada.  For more information please visit canadianblindhockey.com.