Working with blind athletes to redefine what’s possible on the ice.
We’re building a world where anyone, regardless of sight, can feel the rush of the game and the joy of belonging.
About the Foundation
The Philanthropic Engine Driving Blind Hockey to the Paralympics.
The International Blind Ice Hockey Foundation is shaping the sport’s future—expanding competition and pursuing inclusion in the 2034 Winter Paralympics in Utah.
If successful, it would mark the first time a blind and team sport appears in the winter Paralympics.
We give young people who are blind or have low vision something powerful: the chance to see heroes who play their game—and to believe they can compete too.
A bit of background: Blind hockey is an adaptation of hockey for players who can’t rely on sight but still crave the rush of the rink.
Born in Canada and now played in cities across the U.S., blind hockey has become a community of more than 1,000 players in North America, growing with support from professional teams and people who believe everyone deserves a place on the ice.
Your support keeps this movement in motion—opening the rink to more players, more teams, and more moments of joy in the fastest game in the world.
Let’s Play
Blind Hockey reimagines the rhythm of the rink for players.
The puck is larger and filled with ball bearings that rattles as it glides across the ice. Players track its sound, call out before passing, and shoot toward smaller nets that keep the puck low and in play. Goalies listen for the rush of skates and the clang of sticks to make their stand.
Finding the Puck: Leadership Lessons from My Journey Through Blind Hockey
Craig Fitzpatrick, who lost most of his sight while serving in the military, has taught more than 300 children and adults to play competitively. As a member of the U.S. Blind Hockey Team, he’s trained under NHL coaches and built partnerships with professional teams through his Try Blind Hockey program, bringing disability awareness to new audiences.
Finding the Puck is part memoir, part guide to leadership and resilience. It follows Fitzpatrick’s unlikely return to the ice after losing his sight—and how that journey reshaped his understanding of ambition, humility and purpose.
Readers are invited for the first time into this community of blind hockey, where resilience, trust, risk-taking, and perseverance are put to the test every day in illuminating, transformative ways.
Craig donates all proceeds from book sales to the International Blind Ice Hockey Foundation.
“Craig Fitzpatrick is what we all strive to be. Brave, strong, committed, unselfish and humble. Facing daunting odds, Craig never wavered and never gave up. His perseverance was rewarded with success in all aspects of his life. Craig is a true American hero.”
- Joe Sakic, 2 Stanley Cup titles, Hockey Hall of Fame
Meet the Board
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Craig Fitzpatrick
Author, Finding the Puck
Craig played forward for the U.S. Blind Hockey Team and plays for the Washington Blind Hockey Club and the Colorado Visionaries.He helped launch several blind hockey programs across the country. A lifelong Colorado Avalanche fan, he trained in Colorado during his competitive career.
A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Craig served five years in the Air Force before being diagnosed with Stargardt disease, which led to near-total blindness and a 100% service-related disability. He is now Chief Innovation Officer at Akira Technologies.
Craig earned an MPA from Saint Louis University. His charitable work includes serving as Senior Technology Fellow at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, where he supports commercialization efforts, and collaborating with the NHL to expand access to hockey for disabled players across the U.S. and Canada. -
Matt Morrow
Executive Director, Canadian Blind Hockey Association
Matt has been working on growing and developing the Para sport of Blind Ice Hockey for the past 15 years.
During that time he has helped grow the game from 45 players in Canada to more than 1,000 participants in six countries worldwide.
Under his leadership, Canadian Blind Hockey has grown from a small "kitchen table" charity with annual revenues of less than $100,000 to a leading Para sport association with annual revenues of over $700,000 and three full-time staff.
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Lori Bertman
Philanthropy Advisor
Lori brings decades of experience at the intersection of sports and philanthropy.
She serves on the Fundraising and Development Committee of the Hockey Hall of Fame and teaches as Professor of Sport and Philanthropy at George Washington University.
A board member of Athletes for Hope and a trustee of the National College Baseball Foundation, she’s helped athletes and organizations channel their platforms for good.
She is an avid hockey memorabilia collector and has supported the Pittsburgh Penguins and all of NHL’s charitable initiatives.
Contact Us
Want to partner with the Foundation, or work with us in some other way to grow blind hockey. Send us a note via the form, or email Lori Bertman at ljb@bertmanandassociates.com.
Reach us at:
10305 Beach Mill Road, Great Falls, Virginia, 22066
(225) 454-5159