Special Olympics PEI recently held a Floor Hockey celebration to acknowledge the deep connection the sport has to the Special Olympics movement. Special Olympics PEI staff, and in discussion with active coaches, felt now was a good time when a new sport of Floorball was being introduced to Special Olympics Canada. Floor Hockey has been played in Prince Edward Island for over 40 years. The event was hosted at the University of Prince Edward Island’s Chi Wan Young Sports Centre.
Floor Hockey was one of the first Special Olympics activities offered here on PEI. Throughout the years, Floor Hockey has been one of Special Olympics PEI's most popular programs and the sport has represented PEI very well at a number of tournaments in our region and nationally, including at the 1984 Special Olympics North America Floor Hockey Tournament in Toronto, ON.
The Floor Hockey Celebration saw past and current Floor Hockey athletes, coaches, supporters and families join together for an afternoon of celebration. The event began with a small tournament featuring Unified games, and concluded with remarks, a memorabilia display, and the opportunity to socialize and reminisce. Over 40 Special Olympics athletes, some coming out of retirement from the sport for the day, took part, along with over 40 Unified Partners. Unified Partners included members from the Law Enforcement Torch Run, UPEI's Men's Soccer Team, and the Summerside Western Capitals Hockey Team.
Six Unified Teams took part in the tournament. Each team was named after an individual who played an influential role in the history of Floor Hockey, including CY Holland and Peter Howatt who have been coaching the Charlottetown Floor Hockey program for 42 and 39 years respectively. Other teams were named after Angela Marchbank, Josh Lavine, Kevin Thompson and Chris Costain. Each team also had an Honourary Captain. These Honourary Captains were current or former Floor Hockey athletes whose legacy inspired generation of athletes to come, including Tommy MacGuigan who has been an active member of the Charlottetown Floor Hockey program for over 40 years. Other Honourary Captains include: Jerred Affleck, Bradley Ramsay, Mark Ramsay, John Anthonly Laybolt, Adam Bourque, Charles Beaulieu and Paul Saunders.
While the new sport of floorball represents an exciting opportunity, Special Olympics Canada acknowledges the important role that the sport of floor hockey has played in Special Olympics history. Floor hockey was one of the first sports ever competed in during the inaugural Special Olympics Games in 1968, thanks to the pioneering work of Dr. Frank Hayden and integral support of Eunice Kenndy Shriver. Dr. Hayden’s ground-breaking research and advocacy for inclusive sport were foundational in establishing the Special Olympics movement, and floor hockey was a central part of that vision. Dr. Hayden was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
The choice to introduce the new sport of floorball stems from various factors that align with Special Olympics Canada’s mission to provide meaningful sports experiences to athletes of all abilities. Floorball has seen a surge in popularity globally and has been recognized by Special Olympics International as an official sport, with a pathway leading up to the Special Olympics World Games. With less enrollment worldwide, Floor Hockey does not currently have a competition pathway to World Games. Special Olympics Canada is committed to celebrating the legacy of Floor Hockey and will continue to support and develop resources as needed based on participation levels across the country.
