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generally you shouldn't write run-on sentences because they get confusing and it doesn't give the reader a break. that doesn't apply to me though my run-on sentences are fun and understandable and they have a rhythm to it that makes you want to keep reading

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raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by marc-andre fleury

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kappy goal tonight kings? kappy goal?

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Today I encountered an especially pathetic Italian greyhound. His owner told me that a gust of wind once blew him into a lake.

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Hey! Do you have a primer on para hockey? I want to get into it but don't know how it works. Meaning I know regular hockey but not this kind lmao. No worries if not. ☺️

PARA ICE HOCKEY – BASIC PRIMER

Formally brought into existence by a group of disabled Swedes who refused to give up on playing hockey, the sport originated in a rehab center in Stockholm during the 1960s, celebrating its inauguration as an “official” event at the 1994 Paralympics.

Usually classification among paralympic disciplines can be confusing at best. In para ice hockey's case the parameters are pretty straightforward: A singular class, everyone with a lower-body impairment which prevents them from taking part in able-bodied hockey is entitled to play.

RULES & GAMEPLAY

Para ice hockey doesn't differ too much from its able-bodied counterpart. In fact, rink dimensions as well as penalty rules are near identical with the addition of two things:

Teeing penalty: When a player assembles their sticks in a "T" formation in order to impede the opponent's sled.

Rather than actively evade the puck, on-ice-officials are instructed to: “Never, ever jump!“. Neither to avoid collisions along the boards nor the puck during play. Doing so would pose an active danger as their skates would be elevated to head/neck level of players on the ice.

A game-day roster consists of max. 13 players + 2 goaltenders.

A period is timed at 15 minutes with two intermissions of the same length.

During international competition, a tied game at the end of regulation will head into a singular 5-on-5 5 minute OT. If no goal is scored a shootout shall follow after a 3 minute break.

If you're wondering whether it retains certain elements which set the sport of hockey apart from others, such as permitted:

body-checks

fights

fast-paced & physical style of play

The answer is 'yes' to all of the above.

Speed is certainly still a major factor and breakaways still happen, though para ice hockey relies a tad more on strategy and set plays. The easiest way to get a feel for it is by simply having a look:

For further information, check out the official set of WPIH rules & regulations.

EQUIPMENT

The very thing which sets the sport apart from it's stand-up equivalent.

Athletes are seated in sleds aka what coined the initial term for the sport (sledge hockey) ahead of its re-brand in 2016. Each metal frame is tailored to an athlete's specific needs and preferences. A foot guard for protection, a front skid to ensure better maneuverability, and straps fastened around the upper body and existing limbs to ensure safety are the common denominator. It is possible to attach either one, or more commonly two, parallel blades which are the same as those on regular skates.

Players are equipped with not just one but two shortened sticks (max. 100 cm) serving the dual purpose of both-sided stick-handling and propulsion on the ice. The latter is made possible via a set of at least 6 spikes attached to the butt-end of each stick. In order to prevent the breakdown of ice and injury to fellow athletes, they are dulled and no longer than 1 cm.

Upper-body protection is identical to what you see in other hockey disciplines. All players must wear a cage or face-shield.

While the differences in sled models are subtle from the outside, goalie's lower body protection in particular offers a broader variety of clearly visible diversion. Goalies are required to protect all of their (residual) limbs, though they have multiple choices as to how:

regular shin guards as usually seen on skaters

pads applied in accordance to an individual's needs

Which can range from “seated” goalies applying one or two (un-)joined forwards facing pads to “cross-legged” goalies with a singular pad parallel to the goal line.

A goalie's stick may also feature an additional pick at the heel of its blade.

RINK ADAPTATIONS

There is no actual bench to speak of, as athletes remain seated in their sled throughout the entirety of the game. The boards along the bench have been replaced by a see-through material as players are on level with the ice. A door on each side allows for fluent changes. The same applies to penalty boxes on the opposing side of the rink.

LEAGUE SYSTEMS & INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

Whether within national leagues or on international ice: the sport is not sex-segregated. Yet women remain underrepresented. So far only three have appeared on the National Team's at the Paralympics, more in other competitions.

When it comes to actual games we rarely find leagues but rather various international tournaments centered around preparation for the WC or the Paralympics.

Annual main events:

WPIH Championship (A, B, & C-Pool)

Para Hockey Cup (4-team invitational)

Women's World Challenge (5-team tournament)

As of 2022 a women's tournament has been established meant to pave the way for a Women's WC in the future. The opportunity of mixed teams as part of the aforementioned classes and within domestic competitions remains.

A comprehensive list of all international events past and present can be found here.

A non-comprehensive list of nations currently harboring an active domestic league + links to their official websites:

Česká para hokejová liga

DPEL - Deutsche Para Eishockey Liga

Campionato italiano Para Ice Hockey

BPIHL – British Para Ice Hockey League

ÖPEL - Österreichische Para Eishockey Liga

DEVELOPMENT & RECEPTION

Regional development programs, IPC-supported training camps for national teams as well as outreach events catering towards the youth and interested players are the focal point of various federations' efforts.

If we abide by the official definition of “professional athletes” as “an individual who engages in sports activities as their primary occupation, earning a living through their prowess, dedication, and performance in their chosen discipline”... most athletes in the field actually don't qualify as such.

Whereas nations such as the US and Canada receive notable funds, even most of their players are unable to pursue the sport as a way to earn a living seeing how the structures in place do not operate under an established salaried system. Team Canada's women's team receives no federal funding even though the men's team does.

In some countries, i.e. Germany, government funding is hard to come by as there is one resource for all para sports which already suffer from a generally neglected niche existence reliant on sponsorship deals and donations. Rather than medial coverage and promotion fans oftentimes have to seek out dates for events on their own.

What proper funding and appreciation can achieve is exemplified by the rapid rise of the Chinese team. Since its inception in 2017 they managed to rise through the ranks of the C and B-Pool to bronze in their first Paralympics in 2022 and establishment within the A-Pool since.

WHERE & HOW TO FOLLOW

Until recently, all international tournaments were available for free as live-streams and replays on the Paralympics' official YT and FB channels. The latest WC has been pay-walled by a US streaming service. However, all games are available in full on YT upon completion of the tournament. Certain other streaming platforms are your friend.

To stay up to date keep a look at the official IPC website and seek out the social media presence of your local orgs.

Plenty of times entry to non-WC para hockey games will be either free or of little charge, so if you happen to find an event in your area, please do go ahead and support the sport. In person and on social media. It's worth it!

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Taka-taka-taka

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never forget

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Personality test, is 80f/26c too hot for you?

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goalies are gonna watch this

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many are saying it's a sidgeno yearning summer .. wip

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do you guys want to like and reblog posts from each other tomorrow

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my biggest disconnect from hockey fandom at large probably has to be the way people think it’s somehow weird or a secret sign of something that sid and kathy aren’t married and don’t have kids. i see this constantly on twitter. guys. guys? not everyone wants to get married or have kids. guys this is really normal. guys please tell me you understand people can not want to get married and not want to have kids for a million reasons and “because one of them is actually a closeted homosexual” is really, really far down the list. ‘someone give this man a baby!!!’ if he wanted one he’d have one you know this right. he’s not being kept away from a happy life like a prisoner you know this. ‘why does he stand so far away from her in pictures’ because that’s where he was standing when they took the picture what are you even trying to imply. guys you have to tell me you understand that not everyone wants to get married and not everyone wants to have kids. you HAVE to tell me or i’m revoking your twitter access. you’re going to edge into rainbow bondage bear territory if you’re not careful i’m just trying to look out for you

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combine starts today. cant wait to find out which team is gonna ask these teens if you were drowning in a cold and unrelenting ocean would you die trying to save yourself or would you die trying to save your teammate? what flavor of ice cream would you be?

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🐧🐧