The opening ceremony will take place on Friday, Dec. 3 starting at 3:40 p.m. Former Blue Jacket great Rick Nash will kick off the Classic with the ceremonial puck drop on Friday at 3:50 p.m. Attendees will get an experience much like a Blue Jackets game with CBJ fan favorite Leo Welsh singing the National Anthem on Friday. Stinger will also make a special appearance during Saturday's tournament. Over the course of the weekend, 13 teams will compete in a round robin tournament, with each playing 4 games.
The special hockey discipline is intended to give people with a wide range of cognitive and developmental disabilities the chance to play the sport of ice hockey in an environment that is adapted to their level of ability.
Special hockey athletes play upright and, in most cases, offsides, icing, penalties etc. are not part of gameplay. Special hockey emphasizes players to have fun through teamwork, social interaction and improving the quality of life through on and off ice activities.
The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Blue Jackets Foundation have provided support and resources to the CCYHA Blue Jackets Special Hockey program since the group was established in 2007. The effort is in partnership with the National Hockey League's "Hockey is for Everyone" initiative to remove barriers to the game and create more inclusive hockey communities.
Development and growth of youth hockey is one of the main pillars of the Blue Jackets Foundation. By paying for ice time, player jerseys and equipment and tournament expenses, families and children in the Special Hockey and Learn to Play programs can experience the sport, often for the first time.
During the 2019-20 season, the Blue Jackets teamed up with Special Hockey to host a Get Out And Learn clinic which saw 50+ new families come out to try hockey for free.
Attendees of the Classic will also see local Special Hockey athlete, Charlie Cook, take the ice. Cook has been featured during in-arena celebrations at past Blue Jackets games. To see Charlie's story, visit
cbj.co/charlie
.
To learn more about the Classic, visit
www.usahockey.com/specialhockeyclassic
.
About USA Hockey Special Hockey
Special hockey programs have been established in over 30 cities in the United States. The inaugural Special Hockey Classic was staged in 2018 and saw 10 teams take the ice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For the most up-to-date news on USA Hockey's disabled hockey program, including information about all six disciplines of the sport,
click here
.
About The Blue Jackets Foundation
As the charitable arm of the National Hockey League club, the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation leverages its unique resources - players, coaches, staff and fans - to partner with and invest in central Ohio charities. For more information, visit
www.BlueJackets.com/foundation
.
