There were some amazing moments during Dawg Bowl XIV, but this one is hard to beat. The Dented Pucks are a blind team with players from all over the country. One of those is Keith Haley from Connecticut. Keith had a pretty normal life until he began losing his sight at age 25. As hereditary glaucoma began to take his sight, Keith was unsure he would ever play hockey again, but that all changed when he found blind hockey.
As standout HS hockey player at Farmington High School, Keith spent his HS career skating on line with Craig Pierce, now a Colorado resident. These once inseparable teammates hadn’t seen each other in years and Craig took the opportunity to root on his old linemate who had made the 2,000 mile cross country trek to play in his first Dawg Bowl.
Once the word was out about these two, the Dented Pucks invited Craig to once again play on a line with his childhood friend. So on Sunday morning Keith and Craig took the ice together for the first time in nearly 35 years! The smiles were in abundance and the emotions ran high as these two experienced something they didn’t think would ever be possible after Keith’s diagnosis.
Postgame was full of laughter as they turned back the clock as they slipped on their Farmington gear, reliving their glory days as high school hockey stars.
The magic that exists at the Dawg Bowl is undeniable, and this is yet another example of our never ending no coincidences!
