A Red Deer man is trying to expand the reach of the sport he loves into Central Alberta.
Ray Wasdal, with the Team Jigger Foundation, spoke about sledge hockey in an early April interview.
Team Jigger is based in Lacombe and supports people with neurologic issues, stroke and limb mobility loss after they've been discharged from hospital.
"Sledge hockey spun out of that," said Wasdal.
Unlike traditional hockey, in sledge hockey an athlete is buckled into their sled and then both moves themselves around the ice and shoots the puck with a pair of short hockey sticks with picks in the bases.
Wasdal did an introduction session to the sport with the kids and volunteers from the BGC Heartland Youth Centre at the end of March 2025.
"That was great," said Wasdal. "We thought we would start with that with youth group, and they loved it. We'll do it again in the fall."
According to Wasdal, who has been in conversation with the Stettler Recreation Director, Brad Robbins, the plan is to bring a try-out session back to Stettler sometime this fall and open it to even more people.
The tricky part, says Wasdal, will be getting ice time in Stettler, which is already at a premium.
Still, the more people Wasdal can get trying out the sport, the more people he knows will fall in love with it.
Around two-thirds of the current players in the Red Deer and Lacombe area do have neurological deficits of some sort, says Wasdal, but the remaining one-third are fully able-bodied.
"It's a sport that anyone can play," said Wasdal.
Students around central Alberta have had the opportunity to try the sport, with Wasdal taking sleds and other equipment to schools around the region as opportunity permits.
Beyond schools, the sport is gaining competitive traction. Red Deer hosts two sledge hockey tournaments every year; one in November and one in February. Teams come from all over the province including Calgary, Edmonton and Medicine Hat.
Even the NHL is seeing the benefits of sledge hockey, with the NHL Players Association Goals & Dreams program awarding 10 complete sets of equipment to the Team Jigger Sledge Hockey Program.
“Having had some involvement in Ontario Sledge Hockey, I understand the importance and value of having a strong sledge hockey program available in Red Deer and Central Alberta,” said Darcy Tucker, the longtime former NHL player who grew up playing hockey in Central Alberta.
“The Team Jigger Sledge Hockey program ensures that there is enough equipment and ice time available for anyone wanting to participate. It’s all about accessibility and providing sport and recreation to those who might otherwise feel it wasn’t possible for them.”
During the 2024-25 ice hockey season, the sledge program held regular ice time at the G. H. Dawe Centre in Red Deer, additional ice time in Blackfalds and try it opportunities throughout the region including Stettler and Castor.
"Sledge, or Para Hockey, is a truly accessible version of the game we Canadians are so passionate about,” said Wasdal. “People who are experiencing paraplegia, mobility issues, degenerative conditions, amputation or coordination issues, can strap into a sled alongside able-bodied friends and family for a game of hockey. Sledge hockey is for everybody! It’s a lot of fun being part of that.”
