If you’re wondering what part of your body would hurt the most after your first session of para hockey, Moose Jaw Warriors assistant coach Gord Burnett can give you a bit of an idea.
Burnett and players Ethan Hughes, Connor Schmidt, Owen Berge and Brady Ness took the ice with Team Canada captain Tyler McGregor and members of the Regina Avengers para hockey team for a special ice session on Monday afternoon, offering a chance for the WHLers to get an idea of what para hockey is all about.
“I think our hands will be sore tomorrow, we did a couple of races here, and the hands will be feeling it,” Burnett said with a grin after the session. “It wasn’t easy, I can tell you that. Just getting up the ice is hard enough, then trying to learn how to turn and how to stop is another thing. But Tyler is here and was able to give us a couple of tips and make it easier.”
At first glance, it looked as if the newcomers were quickly getting a handle on the game. Then McGregor -- widely considered one of the best para hockey players in the world -- would hit full speed down the ice or fire off a few shots to give an idea of what a world-class player looks like.
“It’s very impressive and after giving it a try it’s even more impressive seeing those guys do what they do out there,” Burnett said. “It’s incredible to watch, knowing the level of difficulty it requires.”
As one might expect, the Warriors are among many who are more than happy to see the World Para Hockey Championship coming to Moose Jaw and what it’ll mean to the community.
“Moose Jaw as a whole is a proud hockey community and I think they’ll enjoy it,” Burnett said. “It’ll be exciting to watch. I’ve never seen the game live, I’ve seen it on TV and I think a lot of people are the same, so there will be a lot of interest in what’s going on and it should be a fun event.”
