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Sunday Spotlight: Turnstone Flyers Behind Successful Sled Hockey Program

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (SummitCitySports) — “I grew up playing hockey. I played regular hockey here in Fort Wayne when I was 12.” 

Since childhood, Noel Klein has always been involved in hockey. And despite the challenges in his life, he’s never lost his passion for the sport. 

“I got my accident in high school,” he told us. “I was in a coma for four months. The doctors told my parents… if I was going to live, I would be in a nursing home for the rest of my life.”

If anything, his passion has only grown. And the game, while (mostly) the same, just looks a little different for him today. He’s a goalkeeper for the Turnstone Flyers — a sled hockey team based in Fort Wayne. The sport dates back to the 1960s, invented by a group of people in Sweden, who had disabilities — but still wanted to play hockey.

The rules and energy of hockey still apply, but players are strapped into sleds. Their sticks are shorter — and they have two — with metal picks on the ends to help them propel themselves across the ice. It takes a lot of strength and grit to make it through a full game. And with events like the 17th Annual Bob Chase Frostbite Classic — they may have to endure several matches a day. 

“It’s real hard,” Klein said. He’s been on the team since 2009. “That’s why I’m a goalie. I don’t have that upper body strength so I’m not able to do the fast maneuvers. They don’t have legs or are amputees so they can cut fast and do all that stuff.” 

Every January, the annual tournament draws sled hockey players from around the region. The sport has grown significantly through the Turnstone Flyers. The organization helped create Indiana’s first USA Hockey sanctioned program in 2008, as well as hosting the state’s first sled hockey tournament in 2009. It is now fostering the growth of the sport in cities like Indianapolis and Evansville. Perhaps most impactful, was the creation of a national sled lending program that makes equipment accessible to those that want to play.

Tanner Pfeiffer has played for the Turnstone Flyers for 14 years. 

“If I remember right, I think it was in the newspaper,” he shared. “I saw a picture of it and thought it would be fun so I gave it a try.”

“My dad got involved because we were shorthanded, and decided to jump in and play,” Pfeiffer continued. His father John is one of several able-bodied players allowed to participate on the team. 

“It’s something you need to check out at least once,” Pfeiffer said. “The athletes we play with are incredible. It’s a big community of people that are willing to share experiences, hang out, and have fun.”

Cai Davis weaves in and out of the opponent’s defense, putting pressure on the Wooster Wildcats

Also on the Turnstone Flyers, is Jordy Petrosky. He has several years experience in sled hockey — despite only being a freshman in high school. In fact, players 10+ can join competing teams. Safety precautions are in place for younger players, when playing on the ice with much bigger, older adults. Petrosky has outgrown those measures.

“Better be prepared to get hit!” he told us.

“It’s a little hard because the guys are a lot bigger than me,” Petrosky added. “But I’ve gotten faster. I can shoot harder now.” He’s even started be a contributor of scoring goals in competition matches. But at the end of the day, he, along with everyone else, most value the community.

“It’s really fun to go hang out with the team after the games and eat food,” he said. “The farther away tournaments are — they’re really fun because you get to drive… and I get out of school sometimes.”

As for the home tournaments, like what the Flyers played at the SportONE/Parkview Icehouse earlier this month — they do pretty well. The Flyers won 4 out of 5 games. The team has positioned itself in the semifinals at nationals for 12 consecutive seasons — and they hope to do so again this year.

Intrigued in the game of sled hockey? The Turnstone Flyers are always looking for more players, and of course, fans to attend tournament games. To learn more about the program, or get in touch with a representative of the team, please visit their website. Turnstone, a not-for-profit organization, offers a wide array of support services to people with disabilities and their families. Other adaptive sports they offer include wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, and power soccer.

“It brings us together,” Klein said. “We’re all equals… a stronger community.”

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