Canada and USA 1 goal 2 countries

During the last six months there has been several meetings between the IPCH and representatives from both Canada and USA respectively. In the beginning the aim basically was to reconnect and to get an impression of the current state of Powerchair Hockey in the two nations.
“After our first meeting with IPCH we felt like we were on the right track and impressed by the welcoming feeling we were shown. Instantly we felt like we were part of the global community and that we were part of something beyond our borders, something that truly mattered to so many people’s lives around the world.”, says Paul Desaulniers, President & Director of PowerHockey Canada.

“I was very happy to have the meeting! My only experience with the international group beforehand was from the outside looking in so it was nice to introduce ourselves and to have an honest conversation about our sport. It left me confident that we will have a solid relationship going forward.”, says Liam Miller, representative and player of Philadelphia Flyers Powerplay.

Besides the meeting with representatives from PowerHockey Canada and Philadelphia Flyers, the IPCH has also been having a meeting with John Blackburn from the other organization of PowerHockey in Canada, CEWHA, in order to receive their perspectives about the recent developments inside Canada since their participation in World Championship back in 2018.

Because Canada has two Powerchair Hockey organizations, who are officially IWAS member Organizations, IPCH aim to facilitate – together with both organizations – the necessary collaboration with each other, in order to secure Canada’s participation at the Sports Congress 2021 and World Championship 2022.

Besides reconnecting with each other the aim has of course also been to establish a more ongoing and sustainable connection between IPCH and the North American continent with the purpose of securing better conditions for developing Powerchair Hockey in Canada and USA.
“To reconnect with Canada and USA has been one of my top priorities ever since becoming new Development Officer of the IPCH, as securing a continuous development of Powerchair Hockey in the North American continent is both crucial and beneficial for the international growth of Powerchair Hockey and the community in general.”, says Danni Hillbrandt-Mogensen, IPCH Development Officer.

The connection and collaboration between IPCH and the two nations are looking stronger than ever, and therefore everybody agrees, that the future looks promising:
“Collaborating with the IPCH and our global community members is huge for PowerHockey Canada as an organization and can really offer some great benefits. Working together with others who are going through the same stage of development as you can be an outstanding opportunity to learn from each other.”, says Paul Desaulniers, President & Director of PowerHockey Canada.

Liam Miller adds, “Both of our groups may have different visions for the future of Powerhockey and are in different stages of development. However, we both want our sports to grow locally and internationally. We both want to provide opportunities for disabled athletes around the world. Resources, support, and information are already hard to come by so we must work together to accomplish our goals. I believe a collaboration will foster new ideas, new ways of thinking, and growth for our sport in the long run.”

Representatives from both Canada and USA will take part in this year’s online Sports Congress on the 5^th of June.