Kansas City Warriors hit the ice for military veterans

JACKSON COUNTY, MO (KCTV) -- On a day that parts of the Kansas City metro experienced triple digit temperatures, some decided to hit the ice, but for these ice hockey players, the sport is being used more than just for a cooldown.

“When you are out there on the ice all your problems and everything kind of float away,” says James Wilson a veteran and hockey player.

Wilson is one of many to strap up a helmet and grab a stick for the Kansas City Armed Forces classic.

A tournament put on by the Kansas City Warriors, an organization that uses hockey as a therapeutic healing for disabled veterans.

“When I personally started, I didn’t even know how to skate, they taught me from skating starting to now I can skate backwards,” says Wilson.

For the Kansas City Warriors organization these games have nothing to do with skill, but instead an outlet for active service-members and veterans of all branches.

“A lot of us have been overseas and been deployed and know what it’s like to have that true family overseas and you come back you kind of feel lost so this together,” says Luke Vance, a servicemember and hockey player.

Which is exactly what the local organization was hoping this event would do.

“My family came in from out of town and they actually got to see me play for the very first time on ice because I’ve only been playing for two and a half years. So, it was amazing for them to share what brought me so much joy and helped save a lot of veteran’s lives,” says Kevin Hutchison the executive director of the Kansas City Warriors.

If you want to go and support the players, it is not too late, the games continue tomorrow starting at 9 AM at the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence.

For more information about the group or the event you can visit their website KCWarriors.com

Copyright 2022 KCTV. All rights reserved.