P.E.I. man to captain veterans' sledge hockey team against the U.S.

Islander Eric Payne has been named captain of the "Soldier On" national sledge hockey team that will play against the U.S. later this week.

Payne, a comedian and veteran of the Afghanistan war, had his leg amputated following a motorcycle accident in Nova Scotia after he came back from his deployment.

He's been a part of the Soldier On program since 2007 and two years later, he helped create a sledge hockey program on P.E.I.

"We are getting people who haven't been able to play sport out and re-engaged again in that sort of lifestyle," he said.

The Soldier On program helps injured or ill military personnel participate in sport, and also helps wounded soldiers re-adjust to their new life. The Canadian team will face a squad from the Wounded Warriors program for U.S. veterans.

First, the team will be in Toronto to practice with some NHL alumni before heading down to watch an outdoor game featuring the Washington Capitals against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.

After the match, Payne is embarking on a comedy tour across Canada.

"I've fortunately, or unfortunately, seen both sides of how disability can go," he said. "Humour has always been a tool for me. As somebody may stare at the prosthetic leg trying to figure out, as the humour goes on their eyes come up and then I become a person not a prosthetic leg."

• ​MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Islander teaching in Florida says he'll quit if guns become a job requirement
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Some P.E.I. Chase the Ace groups question provincial fees