Ball hockey | Danick Martel’s other passion

In the winter, Danick Martel is a professional hockey player. In the summer, he is one of Canada’s top ball hockey players. Its mission: to promote the growth of a sport which, in its view, deserves more attention.

Nicholas Richard
The Press

The World Ball Hockey Championship began Monday at Place Bell in Laval. Sixteen teams compete there until June 27 to determine which is the best nation in the world.

Just before playing his first match, against the American rivals, Danick Martel was feverish, in the corridors of the amphitheater, at the idea of ​​reconnecting with his other great passion, in such a competitive context.

A week earlier, Martel’s season had ended with the Laval Rocket, but he quickly swapped his skates for sports shoes. The mission of the 27-year-old Drummondvillois: to sell ball hockey to Quebecers. “Bringing the World Championship to Canada will help us get known. […] To come back this year with a lot of Quebecers in the team, at home, we have to take the opportunity to send messages and try to convince the young people, because they are our next generation,” explained Martel.

Ball hockey is not yet recognized at its fair value, he believes. Spectators at Place Bell are mostly ball hockey enthusiasts.

Even if the facilities are magnificent, the fact remains that the frenzy around this discipline is not the same as in Europe.

“When we played in Slovakia against the Slovaks in the final a few years ago, there were 10,500 people in the stands with drums, like it was a soccer game. It is sure that it is a slightly different experience, ”supports the attacker.

However, ball hockey is accessible to everyone. He says there’s no reason Canada shouldn’t be more excited about the sport: “There are players who can’t skate, but they have good hands, they run well and they are among the best ball hockey players, as is the case with the Slovaks or the Czechs. There aren’t many ice players playing for them. »

The best of workouts

For Martel, ball hockey has been a passion since he was 6 years old. His father being involved in the world of field hockey (hockey deck) in Drummondville, he grew at the same time as his interest in the discipline.

He is now recognized as the best player in Canada. He will still need a little adaptation period: “It’s really my attacking side that stands out, so I try to use it a lot. Every year, at every tournament, you have to prove yourself again. The guys have been training for this for two years. Me, it’s been eight months since I ran, it’s been eight months since I touched a ball. »

In the end, Martel only took 22 seconds to adapt, as he opened the scoring early in the first period against the United States. He added two assists to his record to help the team win 6-5.

It was out of the question for him to miss this event. If some professional players fear the risk of injury, Martel thinks more about the benefits.

“You can go to the gym and sprain your ankle or drop a weight on your foot and break your foot. Everything can happen. I’ve never really had a ball hockey injury. Small sores, it bothers me less. »

Martel also alludes to his cardio and physical fitness in general, which have always been his greatest assets and which have greatly helped him on his journey: “In my youth, my summer training went through ball hockey. I could play a dozen games a week. I think it’s better for me to do cardio than to just go weight training. For me, it’s much better and much more pleasant,” he recalls.

Until the final, Martel will have the lead in ball hockey. He will still have to think about his future in the American League. He is looking for a new contract and his greatest wish would be to sign a new agreement with the Rocket: “It ended well with Montreal, for sure I would like to have a contract with them. I always wanted to settle long term with a team. »