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CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced the addition of five staff to serve as coaches alongside head coach Ken Babey (Saskatoon, Sask.) at Canada’s National Para Hockey Team selection camp, Sept. 1-8 in Calgary.
Mike Foligno (Sudbury, Ont.), Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, Ont.) and Scott Walker (Cambridge, Ont./Vancouver, NHL) will support Babey throughout various tournaments and events during the 2018-19 season. Maxime Gagnon (Longueuil, Que.) and Dan Lacroix (Montreal) were also named to the selection camp as guest coaches.
“The success, experience and skill set of all the coaches is a tremendous asset to our program as we look toward naming the players for the national team this season,” said Babey. “The opportunity to have them mentor our players and assist in the evaluation process will only benefit us and give us the best chance to compete and win on the international stage.”
Foligno coached Canada’s National Para Hockey Development Team for a three-game series against the United States at the Défi sportif AlterGo in Montreal in April. He first joined Hockey Canada in September 2017, serving as a guest coach for its selection camp. Foligno mentored and evaluated players in preparation for international competition throughout the year, including the final training camp and pre-Paralympic series against the U.S. As a player, Foligno spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with stops in Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, and Toronto. In 1,018 career NHL games, he tallied 727 points and 355 goals. He registered career-highs while playing for the Buffalo Sabres in the 1985-86 season, scoring 41 goals and 80 points. Foligno’s resume includes stints behind the bench as an assistant coach with Anaheim, Colorado, New Jersey, and Toronto. He also spent time as head coach of the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears and head coach and general manager of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves.
Fountain’s Hockey Canada experience includes playing for Canada’s National Men’s Team during the 1992-93 season. He won the 1992 Spengler Cup and played for Canada at the 1992 IIHF World Junior Championship. Drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 1992, Fountain had a 17-year pro career (1992-2009) which included the NHL, AHL, IHL, UHL, Russia and Germany.
Walker won a bronze medal as an assistant coach with Canada at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. He won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada at the 2017 International Para Hockey Tournament in Turin, Italy. Walker won a gold medal as head coach of Team Canada White at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship and with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2012 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament. He added a bronze medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship. Walker represented Canada as a player three times (1999, 2001, 2005) at the IIHF World Championship, winning a silver medal in 2005. He amassed 829 NHL games over 17 years with Vancouver, Nashville, Carolina and Washington, recording 397 points, including 151 goals.
Gagnon has served as a guest coach at Canada’s National Para Hockey Team selection camp for the past two years. Gagnon was also a camp coach at Canada’s NextGen Prospects Camp in 2016. He is the head coach of Quebec’s provincial para hockey team and general manager of Hockey sur luge Montreal. Gagnon also serves as director of the Défi sportif AlterGo and organized the first Canadian sledge hockey championships in 2016.
Lacroix spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens after stops in the same role with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay and the New York Islanders. Lacroix spent the 2009-10 season as an assistant coach with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League and four seasons as an assistant coach with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He had a 13-year NHL career with Boston, Edmonton, the Islanders, Rangers and Philadelphia, and also played in the AHL, ECHL, IHL and England.
28 PLAYERS INVITED TO SELECTION CAMP
Twenty-eight players have been invited to the seven-day selection camp, which is part of the evaluation process used to determine which players will represent Canada during the 2018-19 season. The players will participate in a number of on- and off-ice activities, including fitness testing, classroom sessions and three intrasquad games.
Among the camp invites, nine players (Bridges, Cozzolino, Dunn, Gemmell, Hickey, Larocque, McGregor, Smith, Watson) earned a silver medal at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea in March.
Following the camp, players will continue to be involved in training and regional camps leading into the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, Dec. 2-8 in London, Ont., along with a cross-border series with the United States in March, and the IPC World Para Hockey Championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic in April.
For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via Facebook and Twitter.
BUFFALO, New York –
Canada’s National Para Hockey Team
has finished with the silver medal at the 2025 World Para Hockey
Championship after dropping a 6-1 decision to the United States in the gold
medal game Saturday afternoon.
Liam Hickey (St. John’s, NL)scored the lone goal early in
the first period for the Canadians, who trailed 3-1 after one period and 4-1
after two as the North American rivals met in the final for the
eighth-consecutive time at Para Worlds.
“That is the best game I’ve seen the U.S. play in a long time, and
it’s just unfortunate that it came today against us,” said
head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON). “They didn’t
give us any space or room to breathe. We were unable to impose our will at
all tonight. I would say that is an American team that has been sitting on
a sour feeling since last year’s final and they were waiting for their
chance to get us back. We can take some solace in the fact it took that
type of effort to beat us, but there is a lesson here too that now we need
to have that same fire in our belly and take care of business [at the
Paralympics] in Italy in March.”
Adam Kingsmill (Smithers, BC) made 18 saves as the United States
outshot Canada 24-11.
Captain Tyler McGregor (Forest, ON) and
Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, ON)
earned assists on Hickey’s goal, while
James Dunn (Wallacetown, ON)
skated in his 100th game as a member of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team.
Cozzolino finished as Canada’s leading scorer with 15 points (7-8—15), two
more than McGregor (6-7—13). They were third and fourth, respectively, in
tournament scoring.
“Not the performance we wanted today,” said McGregor. “When you look at the
bigger picture and look back at the full year and how far we’ve come and how
much we’ve grown as a group, there are lots of positives we can find. This
one didn’t go our way, and all the credit to the U.S., they played a heck
of a game. This one hurts for sure, but for our group we know what we have
to do: move forward, use this as fuel, get better every day and prepare to
leave Milano-Cortina with a gold medal.”
Following the game, McGregor was named Best Forward of the
tournament.
Canada finished first in Group A with a perfect 3-0 record in the
preliminary round with wins over Germany (11-0), Korea (12-0) and China
(4-2). It booked its spot in the gold medal game with a 3-0 semifinal
victory over Czechia.
With the win over Korea in the preliminary round, Canada officially clinched
its place at the
2026 Paralympic Winter Games
, March 6-15 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
In 15 appearances at the World Para Hockey Championship, Canada has captured
five gold medals (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2024), in addition to five silver
(2015, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025) and three bronze (1996, 2009, 2012).
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.
Here we go again. Canada’s National Para Hockey Team faces its cross-border rivals from the United States on Saturday night with the gold medal on the line at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship.
Last Game
Canada punched its ticket to the gold medal game with a 3-0 semifinal win over Czechia on Friday. Liam Hickey and Adam Dixon scored 18 seconds apart midway through the first period to provide the Canadians all the offence they would need, Tyler McGregor added a power-play goal in the second period and Adam Kingsmill made eight saves for his second shutout in as many starts.
The Americans earned their place in the final with a 6-1 win over China in their semifinal. Declan Farmer had two goals and three assists to take sole possession of the tournament scoring lead, Jack Wallace also scored twice and the U.S. took charge with a four-goal second period.
Last Meeting
The rivals have met nine times this season, most recently in the finale of a three-game series in Thorold, Ontario in late March. Kingsmill starred in that game with a 16-save effort, Vincent Boily and Mathieu Lelièvre contributed a goal and an assist apiece and the Canadians earned a 2-1 victory.
The last meeting at Para Worlds was a thriller in last year’s gold medal game in Calgary. Kingsmill was again the story, making 24 saves, Dominic Cozzolino set the tone with a goal just 35 seconds in and Anton Jacobs-Webb netted the game-winner midway through the second period as Canada ended a seven-year gold medal drought with a 2-1 win.
What to Watch
We’ve mentioned him a couple of time already, but let’s do it once more – Kingsmill always seems to come up big in big games against the Americans. The 25-year-old was the unquestioned star of last year’s gold medal game, making a handful of point-blank saves to backstop Canada to a home-ice world title in Alberta. He’s also the only goaltender in Buffalo who has played more than one game and had yet to allow a goal, although he has had to make only 10 saves while blanking the Koreans and Czechs. Up front, James Dunn will reach at least one milestone; the forward will make his 100th appearance for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and needs just one point to record 100 for his international career.
As he is at every major international event, Farmer is the straw that stirs the drink for the Americans. The Florida native is up to 18 points (10-8—18) after his five-point effort in the semifinals, good for a three-point cushion over Wallace and four over Cozzolino. A four-time world champion, Farmer is no stranger to the top of the scoring chart; he was first a year ago in Calgary (11-9—20 in five games), second in 2023 in Moose Jaw (9-3—12 in five games) and first at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing (7-11—18 in four games). He has also been pretty darn good against the Canadians this season, recording 20 points (13-7—20) in nine games.
A Look Back
This is the 138th edition of the North American rivalry, with the Americans holding a slight edge.
Prior to last spring, the most recent Canadian win with a major title on the line came at the 2017 Para Worlds in Gangneung, South Korea. McGregor scored a pair of goals, Brad Bowden added a goal and two assists and Canada earned a 4-1 victory to lay claim to the world championship.
All-time record: United States leads 75-61-1 (15-7 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 261
United States goals: 321
Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is into the playoff round at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, facing off against Czechia in the first semifinal Friday at the LECOM Harborcenter.
Last Game
The Canadians closed out the preliminary round Tuesday with a 4-2 win over China, completing a perfect prelims and clinching top spot in Group A. Dominic Cozzolino potted a pair of goals, including the game-winner 3:47 into the third period to break open a tie game. Adam Dixon and Mathieu Lelièvre also found the back of the net for Canada, which pulled away with three goals in 3:38 early in the final frame.
Czechia put a scare into the United States in its prelim finale on Tuesday, getting within a goal in the third period before dropping a 4-3 decision. Michal Geier scored twice and Martin Zizlavsky was in on all three Czech goals, earning a trio of assists. Patrik Sedlacek was terrific in goal, making 25 saves.
Last Meeting
The semifinals of the 2024 Para Cup in Charlottetown, P.E.I., was the last time the Canadians and Czechs faced off. In that one, Tyler McGregor and Liam Hickey finished with a goal and an assist each, Cozzolino chipped in with two helpers and Canada edged Czechia 3-1 to move into the gold medal game.
What to Watch
Cozzolino has picked up right where he left off a year ago at Para Worlds. Last spring in Calgary, the Mississauga native earned Top Forward honours after finishing third in tournament scoring (7-10—17) and helping Canada end its long gold medal drought with a tone-setting goal just 35 seconds into the final against the rival Americans. In Buffalo, Cozzolino sits tied for the scoring lead with U.S. point-producer Declan Farmer with 13 points (7-6—13) in three games. He has also (for the moment) jumped past his linemate, Hickey, for sixth in all-time Team Canada scoring with 172 points (62-110—172) in 126 international games.
Filip Vesely has already surpassed his offensive output from a year ago in Calgary, posting seven points – all of them assists – in three prelim games to sit second in helpers, just one behind U.S. defenceman Jack Wallace. He led the Czechs with six points (4-2—6) in five games in Alberta. Vesely has a little more help this time around; Zizlavsky also sits at seven points (2-5—7), while Geier contibuted six goals in the round robin, tied for third behind Farmer (eight) and Cozzolino (seven). The Czechs were the only team in the tournament not to allow a power-play goal in the prelims, killing off all five man-advantages they faced.
A Look Back
Canada has an unblemished all-time record against the Czechs, winning all 21 meetings dating back to 2009.
These teams have met twice before in the semifinals at Para Worlds, both of them shutout wins for Canada; in 2013, Greg Westlake scored twice in a 6-0 victory, and in 2023, Cozzolino and James Dunn had two goals apiece in a 5-0 triumph.
All-time record: Canada leads 21-0
Canada goals: 84
Czechia goals: 10
Canada’s National Para Hockey Team closes out the preliminary round Tuesday morning at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, facing off against China with first place in Group A on the line.
Last Game
Canada made it back-to-back shutout wins with a 12-0 blanking of Korea on Sunday. Dominic Cozzolino led the way with a hat trick and three assists, James Dunn had a hat trick and Tyler McGregor added two goals and three helpers. The Canadians took charge early, going ahead 5-0 before the five-minute mark of the first period and scoring eight goals on 16 shots in the opening frame. The win assured Canada of a place in the semifinals, and clinched a berth at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
China improved to 2-0 with an 8-0 win over Germany on Sunday night. Tian Jin Tao scored a hat trick in the second period and Shen Yi Feng added two goals and three assists as the Chinese outshot the Germans 35-4.
Last Meeting
The Canadians and Chinese most recently clashed at the 2024 Para Cup in Charlottetown, P.E.I. McGregor netted a hat trick, Vincent Boily scored twice and Canada earned a 7-1 victory. The win was a true team effort; 13 of the 15 Canadian skaters recorded at least a point, and Corbin Watson turned aside eight of nine shots to record the victory.
What to Watch
James Dunn has his sights set on a pair of milestones in Buffalo. Barring injury, the Wallacetown, Ontario, product will become the 16th player to reach 100 international games when the tournament concludes next Saturday. But his hot start to the prelims has him within reach of another mark – in addition to his hat trick against the Koreans, Dunn had a goal and four assists in the tournament-opening win over Germany, leaving him just two points away from 100 for his Team Canada career. He would be only the ninth player to reach the century mark. While we’re talking numbers… McGregor has nine points in two games (including his 150th career goal), putting him within 19 points of 300 for his career.
China is led by the three-headed monster of Shen, Tian and Wang Zhi Dong; the trio have combined for 21 points in two games and have scored 12 of the 14 goals for the Chinese – six for Tian and three each for Shen and Wang. Shen is up to his old tricks at Para Worlds; two years ago in Moose Jaw he led the tournament in scoring with 13 goals (including five in a win over Italy) and four assists, and he posted three goals and four helpers last spring in Calgary. He also starred on home ice at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing, finishing second in scoring with 14 points (8-6—14) in six games and leading the host country to a bronze medal.
A Look Back
Canada and China have met only five times, all of which have come in the last 18 months. The Canadians have yet to lose, allowing just three goals in their five wins.
Their only previous Para Worlds meeting was a nailbiter in the semifinals a year ago in Calgary; the Canadians trailed 1-0 entering the third period before Micah Kovacevich and Cozzolino scored 24 seconds apart early in the third period, sending Canada to play for gold with a 2-1 win.
All-time record: Canada leads 5-0
Canada goals: 26
China goals: 3
Fresh off a tournament-opening win, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is right back in action Sunday at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, taking on Korea as preliminary-round play continues.
Last Game
Canada opened its prelim schedule with
an 11-0 win over Germany on Saturday. Tyler McGregor led the charge with four goals, Dominic Cozzolino had two
goals and three assists and James Dunn chipped in with a goal and four
helpers. The Canadians got better as the game went along; they led 1-0
after one period and 5-0 after two before pouring in six goals in the final
15 minutes.
The Koreans dropped a back-and-forth opener to China on Saturday night, erasing an early 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead into the third period, only to allow four unanswered goals in a 6-3 loss. Kim Young Sung led the offence with two goals, while Lee Jae Woong was solid between the pipes in a 24-save effort as the Korea was outshot 30-7.
Last Meeting
The Canadians and Koreans last met in the tournament opener at the 2023 Para Worlds in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Canada flexed its offensive muscle in that one, scoring seven times in the first period en route to a 15-1 victory. Dominic Cozzolino led the charge with eight points – four goals and four assists – while Dunn (3-2—5), Adam Dixon (2-3—5) and McGregor (2-3—5) contributed five points apiece. In all, 11 of the 13 Canadian skaters recorded at least a point, and eight had multi-point efforts.
What to Watch
The odds are pretty good this won’t be the last time we see his name in this space, but let’s talk about McGregor. The Canadian captain continues to lead by example, potting four goals in the win over the Germans. The Forest, Ontario, native now has 153 goals in his international career, making him just the third player in Team Canada history to reach the 150 mark – Billy Bridges leads with 199, and Greg Westlake (now an assistant coach with the team) scored 175 in his decorated career. With the four goals, McGregor is up to 28 points (18-10—28) in 17 games this season; he has recorded at least one point in 11 of his last 12 games, and 14 of the 17 this season.
In his 11th Para Worlds, Jung Seung Hwan remains the offensive catalyst for the Koreans. A year ago, he posted eight points (4-4—8) at the world championship in Calgary, the highest scorer not to play for the powerhouse Canadians or Americans, and he put his name on the scoresheet again in the loss to China. The 39-year-old also led the Koreans in scoring at the 2023 Para Worlds in Moose Jaw, albeit with only three points (2-1—3) in five games. Jung is a para sport legend in Korea; he was the flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony of the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, scoring six goals to lead the host nation to a bronze medal.
A Look Back
The head-to-head history has been decidedly one-sided, with the Canadians winning all 39 meetings and outscoring the Koreans 260-16.
Canada and Korea have met in the semifinals at the last two editions of the Paralympic Winter Games, and both have been shutout victories for the Canadians; McGregor had two goals and two assists in a 7-0 win in 2018, and he recorded four goals and two helpers in an 11-0 win in 2022.
All-time record: Canada leads 39-0
Canada goals: 260
Korea goals: 16
Canada’s National Para Hockey Team opens defence of its gold medal Saturday at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, beginning preliminary-round play against Germany.
Last Game
Canada last saw the ice in game action on March 29 in Thorold, Ontario,
closing out its three-game series against the United States with a 2-1
win. Mathieu Lelièvre scored midway through the second period and Vincent
Boily netted the winner early in the third as the all-Quebec trio of
Lelièvre (1-1—2), Boily (1-1—2) and Anton Jacobs-Webb (0-2—2) provided all
the offence. Adam Kingsmill was terrific in goal, making 16 saves.
The Germans most recently swept a three-game series with Norway in mid-January, gaining a measure of revenge for their loss to the Norwegians in the B-Pool World Championship last spring.
Last Meeting
You have to go all the way back to the preliminary round at the 2017 Para Worlds in South Korea for the last meeting between the Canadians and Germans. Canada dominated the prelim finale, getting a natural hat trick from Tyler McGregor and two goals apiece from Dominic Cozzolino and Corbyn Smith in a 9-0 victory. Dominic Larocque needed to make just two saves for the shutout as the Canadians held a wide 45-2 advantage in shots on goal.
What to Watch
All eyes are on Adam Dixon as he makes Team Canada history on Saturday. Dixon is set to pass Billy Bridges as the all-time games played leader for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, skating in his 252nd international contest. Save for a three-year hiatus following the 2018 Paralympics, the Midland, Ontario, native has been a fixture in the Team Canada lineup for almost two decades, first as one of the best defencemen in the para game and more recently as a dependable second-line centre. Dixon joined elite company during the Reeve Hockey Classic in February, recording his 100th career goal and becoming just the fifth Canadian to reach that mark. He is No. 5 in all-time Team Canada scoring, with 266 points (100-166—266) in 251 career games.
Felix Schraeder’s numbers at the B-Pool Worlds look like something out of a video game. Schraeder finished as the scoring leader with a ridiculous 31 points (19-12—31) in five games to help Germany to a silver medal. His tournament included eight goals and four assists against Great Britain, three goals and three assists against Kazakhstan, and six goals and three assists against France. Schraeder will be looking to repeat that performance in the A-Pool and avoid a repeat of 2023; he had just a goal and an assist in four games in Moose Jaw as the Germans were relegated.
A Look Back
The Canadians and Germans have met 14 times since para hockey joined the Hockey Canada family in 2004, although 13 of those came prior to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics.
The teams met twice in British Columbia as part of the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup, a test event for the Paralympics; Brad Bowden had two goals and four assists in a 12-1 win for Canada in the tournament opener, and Bridges netted a hat trick and added three helpers in a 9-0 semifinal victory.
All-time record: Canada leads 13-0-1
Canada goals: 98
Germany goals: 10
CALGARY, Alberta – With less than a month until the puck drops, Hockey Canada has announced the 17 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and compete for a gold medal at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, May 24-31 at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York.
The roster – two goaltenders, six defencemen and nine forwards - was selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON), assistant coaches Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB), Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Liam Heelis (Georgetown, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON). Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, and Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON) , manager of hockey operations, also provided input.
“Entering the World Championship as the defending champions is not something we take lightly,” said Herrington. “We know that every country will bring their best against us. As a group we have continued to grow and develop over the last year, from the Para Cup to the USA series. This roster has a ton of experience on the big stage, and we are excited to get going.”
The roster includes 16 players who helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in Calgary (Armstrong, Boily, Burnett, Cozzolino, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Hickey, Jacobs-Webb, Kingsmill, Kovacevich, Lavin, Lelièvre, McGregor, Watson) .
Canada will be joined by China, Germany and Korea in Group A, while Group B
features Czechia, Norway, Slovakia and the United States.
Canada opens its preliminary-round schedule on May 24 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
against Germany and will face Korea on May 25 and China on May 27. The
quarterfinals are set for May 28, followed by the semifinals on May 30 and
the medal games on May 31.
All 20 tournament games will be available for free via livestream at USAHockeyTV.com .
Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will travel to Buffalo:
Canada has captured five gold medals at Para Worlds (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017,
2024), in addition to four silver (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) and three bronze
(1996, 2009, 2012).
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey
Team, please visit
HockeyCanada.ca
or follow through social media on
Facebook
, X,
Instagram
and TikTok.
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the roster for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team for a three-game series against the United States from March 26-29 at Canada Games Park in Thorold, Ontario.
Three goaltenders, seven defence and 11 forwards – including 16 members of the team that won a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in Calgary - were selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON) and assistant coaches Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Liam Heelis (Georgetown, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON).
“Any time you can put on the Maple Leaf and compete with the United States,
you know there will be a high level of competition,” said Herrington. “As
we continue to prepare for the upcoming world championship in Buffalo, we
want to push ourselves and continue to get better every day. The work
started in February in Boston with two intense games, and I expect more of
the same this week. We are also excited to have Women’s Para Hockey of
Canada join us as well as the United States’ Women’s Development Sled
Hockey Team. This is a great opportunity for us to collaborate and continue
to showcase the sport.”
The staff that will work with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team during the
series includes:
The cross-border series will also include participation from Women’s Para
Hockey of Canada, marking the second time the two programs will combine
efforts at an event. The schedule includes practices as well as three
games against its counterparts from the United States on Wednesday, March
26 at 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday, March 28 at 12 p.m. ET and Saturday, March 29
at 12 p.m. ET.
“With the announcement of the inaugural women's world championship in
August 2025, we are thrilled to hit the ice and compete,” said Tara
Chisholm, head coach of Canada’s national women’s para hockey team. “This
series in Thorold will be a fantastic way to kick off our competitive
season on the road to worlds. Events like this help raise the profile of
women’s para hockey and provide athletes with valuable high-level
competition. As the sport continues to grow, we are excited to strengthen
our collaboration with Hockey Canada and USA Hockey to create more
opportunities for women to showcase their skills.”
Canada’s roster for the women’s series includes three goaltenders, five defence and nine forwards – representing athletes from six provinces (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec).
All six games will be broadcast live for free
HERE
.
World Para Ice Hockey will make history this year when Dolny Kubin,
Slovakia, hosts the first-ever
women’s world championship
from Aug. 26-31. The tournament will feature Australia, Canada, Great
Britain, Norway, the United States and Team World.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok .
About Women’s Para Hockey of Canada (WPHC)
WPHC is a national organization dedicated to promoting and developing para ice hockey opportunities for girls and women+ with disabilities across Canada. With a mission to foster inclusivity, empowerment and excellence in the sport, WPHC provides resources, support and opportunities for girls and women+ of all ages and abilities to engage in the sport, whether at the recreational or competitive level. Through player development, competition, community outreach and advocacy, the organization’s athletes, staff and volunteers are committed to advancing para ice hockey for girls and women+ while challenging stereotypes and breaking down barriers in para hockey.
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Dawson Creek, B.C., will host the 2025 Para Cup, Nov. 30-Dec. 6 at the Ovintiv Events Centre.
The Para Cup, the final international competition prior to the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, returns to the West Coast for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 2007, when Canada won the gold medal in Kelowna at what was then known as the World Sledge Hockey Challenge.
The northern British Columbia community has previously hosted the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge twice (2015, 2017), the 2019 World Junior A Challenge and the National Women’s Under-18 Championship twice (2012, 2023).
“Dawson Creek is thrilled to welcome the world to Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway and host the 2025 Para Cup, a first for our city and the Peace Region,” said Mayor Darcy Dober. “This event is not only a key part of our tourism strategy but also highlights the strong partnerships we've built hosting international events. We’re proud to showcase our world-class facilities, incredible volunteers and passionate fans as we host the world’s best para athletes, bringing positive social, economic and community impacts to Dawson Creek and Northeastern B.C.”
The full tournament schedule will be announced at a later date.
Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, Canada has won five gold medals (2007, 2008, April 2011, November 2011, 2013), 10 silver medals (2009, 2012, January 2016, November 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) and one bronze medal (2015).
“This tournament is a crucial part of our evaluation process as we continue to shape our Paralympic roster for 2026 in Italy,” said Russ Herrington, head coach of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team. “After a number of years competing for gold on the East Coast, we’re excited to come to B.C. and showcase the sport to the great hockey fans in the west.”
Early-bird ticket packages are on sale now. Click HERE for more information. Fans can also sign up to receive single-game ticket information or become a Hockey Canada Insider.
For more information on the Para Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
NEW YORK, NY – The NHL, USA Hockey and Hockey Canada announced today the first-ever Reeve Hockey Classic sled hockey game, a matchup featuring the world’s best men’s para hockey athletes who represent Team USA and Team Canada on the international stage. The international rivals will face off at the Kasabuski Rink in Boston to support the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Team practices and the game are open to the public but capacity is limited. Fans can also watch the livestream of the game at USAHockeyTV.com .
On the international stage, both teams boast a competitive roster with an impressive medal count. Team USA’s roster has a total of 28 Paralympic gold medals and 46 World Championship gold medals. The squad is captained by veteran Josh Pauls and includes three U.S. military veterans, two of whom are Purple Heart recipients. On Team Canada, the roster’s Paralympic medal count totals 17 silver medals and three bronze medals, with an additional 28 gold medals, 34 silver medals, and four bronze medals won at World Championships. Canadian team captain Tyler McGregor has been leading his team for six seasons. The international rivals will meet in Boston as part of their training camp as they continue to prepare for international competitions.
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a partner of the NHL Foundation U.S., is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. An actor, activist, hockey fan, and goalie, Christopher Reeve became paralyzed due to a severe spinal cord injury. He and his wife Dana were unrelenting in their drive to pursue the best research, and support, for patients and families living with paralysis. The Reeve Foundation's vision is a world where spinal cord injury doesn’t result in paralysis, and paralysis does not result in diminished quality of life: Today’s Care, Tomorrow’s Cure. The Reeve Hockey Classic will support funding cures for paralysis. To date, the Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center has provided 22 grants to assist sled hockey programs.
To celebrate the first-ever Reeve Hockey Classic, the NHL, NHLPA and Boston Bruins are hosting a ‘Try Sled Hockey for Free’ event on Feb. 18, giving girls and boys ages 4-17, of all abilities, an opportunity to try sled hockey at the Kasabuski Rink. The event is open to all and hopes to inspire kids looking for a new para sport to play. Equipment, coaching, and support will be provided by Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers and Northeast Passage Sled Hockey. Players interested in trying sled hockey are encouraged to register here.
Schedule
All events are located at the Kasabuski Rink (201 Forest St, Saugus, MA 01906) and are open to the media and the public. Capacity is limited.
Tuesday, Feb. 18
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Reeve Hockey Classic: Team USA Sled Hockey Practice
10:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. – Reeve Hockey Classic: Team Canada Sled Hockey Practice
12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – ‘Try Sled Hockey for Free’ Event
Wednesday, Feb. 19
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Stanley Cup appearance and photo opportunity
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Reeve Hockey Classic
The Reeve Hockey Classic is part of a longstanding commitment to
support adaptive hockey in all forms by the NHL, NHLPA and 32 Clubs. The
League has been a longtime presenting partner of the
USA Hockey Sled Classic.
Most recently, the NHL announced a partnership with Warrior 4 Life Fund
, financial support for
three adaptive hockey programs
with the New York Islanders, and growing
sled and special hockey
with the Carolina Hurricanes. Additionally, the NHL/NHLPA Industry
Growth Fund has aided Learn to Play sled hockey programs in NHL
markets, including Tampa Bay and Calgary.
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