So how do I see hockey games exactly?

Well, I’m legally blind but thanks to my hefty prescription glasses that have more prisms in them than a Pink Floyd album cover, I can see a vast majority of things that others can on TV. I have a hard time tracking the puck when I’m watching hockey, but I developed a formula to help me keep sight of the puck at all times. I use my index finger to keep my eyes steadied on the puck. Yes, it has its downfalls but for the most part, it works. Especially when I’m watching hockey live. A lot of people will be like, “What the fuck are you doing?” I’ll be like, “I’m following the puck.” Before the game, I try and get a sense for the “feel” of the game. If it feels like it’s going to be lacklustre, I tend to pay less attention to what’s going on in the play and just “listen” to the game. If it’s one of those crazy games where everything is happening, I try to use my left eye to see what’s going on throughout the ice and I use my right eye to focus more on the puck.

For people that don’t know me, it’s always weird because I have no side vision and to compensate for that, I’m always moving my head around left and right. I can see why people think it’s odd, but I once had a scout tell me at a Niagara Ice Dogs game that I pay way more attention to the game then most of his colleagues do. I was like, “Holy shit! Really?” He nodded and then we talked about Ryan Strome and Dougie Hamilton for the rest of the night. I tried to sell him on the fact that Strome was overrated and Hamilton was going to be the better player out of the two, thanks to right-handed shot, and offensive touch (not to mention his size and strength). He rolled his eyes, but in the end, guys like Brian Burke ended up agreeing with me, and that’s all that matters.

As for how I hear hockey, it’s a deaf by the killswitch scenario. I wear something called a Bone Anchored Hearing Device (aka a BAHA). How it works is actually really simple. There is a peg that it snaps onto in the left side of my head. When the BAHA is turned on, it vibrates through my skull and sends sound to my middle ear so I can hear. In technicality, I actually do “hear” voices in my head. They talk to me, but I don’t always understand them. Thanks to the recent advances in technology, my current BAHA has Bluetooth capabilities which means I can literally listen to music on the darn thing. Not to mention, stream the Fan 590 onto it. It really helps me with keeping my eye on the puck. I hear Joe Bowen’s vibrations. I listen to him point out the big stuff going on in the game, and than I follow it with my index finger.

My BAHA doesn’t compensate for everything though. I’m still hard of hearing, even when listening to the Irish man belt, “HOLY MACKINAW!” When I watch sports on TV, it’s sometimes hard to hear what the announcers are saying because the background noises blend in with their voices. That’s why I learned to be very attentive to what’s going on and have that other level of awareness when I’m watching games. If I don’t have that six sense, I end up missing most of the important things like big battles along the boards, clever little chip outs by the d-men and stellar backchecks by the forwards. To me, it can be a curse sometimes, but in the end, it’s a blessing in disguise.

Now before you give me pity, just remember this; I don’t see my disability or any of the complications I face today as a punishment from Satan. I do see it as a gift from Himself (or a/the higher power that counselors talk about at the 12 step AA recovery program). Living with my complications can be hard, but as I always say, “It is what it is. Take it or leave it.” I’m lucky to be where am I. The day I forget that is when Hell freezes over. Although, with Nick Foles and the Eagles in the Super Bowl, some people may argue that’s already happened.

I want to be the next Don Cherry, and have a cornerstone show that every Canadian needs to tune into on a Saturday night. That involves building credibility in the hockey industry, but I’m willing to put in the hard work. Not to sound condescending or full of myself, but I think I was put on this earth to prove people wrong and to break the glass barriers that are in place for people like me in today’s society. That’s what I believe I am doing now and that’s what I believe I will continue to do as I slip on through the sands of time. As the old saying goes, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog.” That’s a lesson Tie taught me. That’s a lesson I’ll never forget.

Christian is a contributor to Grandstand Central, as well as an editor for Last Word On Hockey. Not to mention, his Twitter is “lit” as the kids say. You can follow him here.