Blind Canes fan embraces sounds of the game in Raleigh and overseas

By Pat Welter

When people say "there's nothing like seeing a NHL game in person," they really mean there's nothing like hearing it too. Just ask Laurel Wheeler.

"Yeahhhh, let's go Canes," Wheeler yells from behind the boards as the Carolina Hurricanes take the ice for warm ups.

Wheeler is a native Texan, but she's in Raleigh for game two of Carolina's playoff series with Boston.

"At this point I've made so many friends among the 'Caniacs' in Raleigh," Wheeler said. "It's just so fun for me it's important for me to come every time I'm in America."

Wheeler has been working towards a Master's Degree in Russian Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Hurricanes hockey helped her learn the language abroad.

"So I thought 'what can I do to help myself, I know hockey'," Wheeler explained. "I started googling and youtube-ing for NHL Finnish content. Found a bunch from the Hurricanes, committed it all to memory and I didn't understand the words at the time, but I was able to memorize it. So then when we took our course and I started learning the words I was able to figure out the pronouns, the verbs, all the different grammar and I taught myself Finnish with it."

Being able to speak a foreign language in another country is important, especially when you can't see.

"There's an advantage to being blind," Wheeler laughed. "I don't need to pay for a TV subscription, I listen on the radio."

Wheeler was born blind. Her left eye is artificial and her right one is real, the way she explains it her eyes didn't form all the way.

"I see light and dark," Wheeler said. "So for example when I look back at the ice rink, I can see the white of the ice, I can see the lights up above."

Wheeler became a Hurricanes fan during the playoff bubble of 2020. No fans in the stands helped her really pick up the sounds of the game.

"I was able to identify the different players by the sound of their skating stride," Wheeler said. "Of course now that there's fans and background noise it's a little bit more challenging, but I know how to do it."

Wheeler has a friend with her to help explain some visuals at the game. There's also her guide dog Routa who is decked out in Hurricanes gear.

"He loves getting up on the glass," Wheeler laughed as she fed Routa a treat.

Not only does Wheeler enjoy attending and listening to games, she's even started playing blind hockey in Finland. Instead of a puck, the sport uses a metal can filled with ball bearings which helps the players locate it.

"When I play, I can't see the red line or the blue line," Wheeler explained. "I just see the white and when I'm skating I know where I am because I can hear when I get closer to the boards."

Some say seeing is believing, Wheeler lives life with courage and faith.

"You will always succeed in life if you think creatively, if you think out of the box and if you refuse to let anyone define you," Wheeler said. "If I listened to what society told me I could do as a blind person I'd be sitting at home in Texas doing absolutely nothing. I don't care what society thinks of me and you can't either if you want to succeed."