HIGH ACHIEVERS: Conrad Eder’s unexpected return to hockey brings 3 International Blind Ice Hockey Series titles

By Martin Cleary

Like many Canadian youth under seven years old, Ottawa’s Conrad Eder was introduced to hockey through Hockey Canada’s Timbits skill development program.

It was a part of his winter life for a couple of years, but he started to lose interest as his love of soccer took hold. The skates and sticks were soon replaced by cleats, a round ball and soccer games with various Gloucester clubs and St. Francis Xavier Catholic High School.

While Eder would occasionally play road hockey with his friends, there was never even an inkling to revisit ice hockey as he got older.

But 20 years later, all that changed and hockey suddenly appeared on his radar, while he was casually scrolling through social media.

By that time, however, life also had suddenly changed for Eder, who was diagnosed eight years ago with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited genetic visual disorder, which eliminates peripheral vision and allows only for tunnel vision.

Eder is a determined young man. His visual impairment didn’t stop him from earning a B.A. economics degree from Laurentian University and a diploma in economic policy from Carleton University. He also works as a public policy analyst with various think-tanks across the country.

He makes the most of his spare time, playing soccer as a striker for the Gloucester Hooligans in the Ottawa-Carleton Soccer League men’s recreational league.

Eder was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa through a routine appointment with an optometrist, who found the imperfection during the scan of the retina. As his vision slowly deteriorated, he lost his driver’s licence and ability to drive a vehicle.

As his vision changed, Eder countered with ways to make his every-day life manageable. That also included his interest in playing sports, where he took on tennis, pickleball, basketball or golf.

In a phone interview this week, the 29-year-old called rediscovering hockey “a fortuitous event.”

“I happened to be scrolling through social media one day and found a video about blind hockey. It was a wonderful thing,” Eder said. “I found a clip of Canada playing the United States in blind hockey. I had never seen it before and had never participated in accessible sports.

“But I felt it was something I could do. What the hell, let’s give it a go.”

Eder immediately phoned Canadian Blind Hockey, which is located in Toronto, and learned about an upcoming summer hockey camp in 2023. He told the national association he would register and attend the camp.

He wasted no time buying second-hand or on-sale hockey equipment, a large storage bag and bought his train ticket to Toronto.

“It was a wild ride,” Eder admitted. “I hadn’t played hockey since I was eight and I’m going to my first summer development camp. I met players who had been playing for years. I had a blast.

“Before I knew it, I was playing with more experienced players. I must have looked like a fish out of water. It was really about getting myself on the ice as much as possible and being comfortable. I set my sights on making Team Canada.”

For the 2023-24 blind hockey season, Eder travelled six times by train to Toronto to practise and play with the long-established Toronto Owls team. Eder plays the forward position as either a centre or a winger in blind hockey, which is a variation of ice hockey for athletes who are blind or partially sighted.

The players follow modified rules and the equipment includes a larger-than-normal puck that makes noise. At the competitive level, all players must be classified as legally blind, which is having approximately 10 per cent vision or less.

Players with the most vision traditionally play the forward positions, while athletes with less or no vision serve as defenders. Goaltenders have extremely low vision or are completely blind, wear a blindfold and play on their knees to protect a significantly smaller net.

In 2024, Eder was named to Team Canada, an honour he has carried for the past three seasons. In each of those seasons, he had helped Canada win the International Blind Ice Hockey Series. Canada has captured all seven series, which started as a head-to-head battle with the United States and expanded to include a World team this season.

The Series is considered the premier international competition for blind ice hockey.

Using a double round-robin format, Canada defeated the United States twice and Team World twice to earn the gold medal for a seventh consecutive time.

Eder played in three of the four games (sitting out the second game against Team World), scoring three goals and adding five assists.

“It’s a special thing to be part of (winning the gold medal),” added Eder, who also is involved with organizing youth and adult blind ice hockey programs in Ottawa.

“I reminded myself to take a breath, look around and take in the moments in the dressing room. These moments stand out, going through a tournament like this with close friends I’ve made. I love the opportunity to play blind ice hockey. Winning another gold medal, it’s about the experience of being with this team.

“Hockey was not on my radar at all. But blind hockey is extraordinary. I look back and see blind hockey is the central part of my life and who I am.”