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:

• Equipment manager AJ Murley (St. John’s, NL)
• Athletic therapist Tracy Meloche (Essex, ON)
• Physiotherapist Michael Lenart (Keswick, ON)
• Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (Guelph, ON)
• Senior coordinator, operations Reid Folk (Stoughton, SK)
• Hockey operations coordinator Jake Grison (Lion’s Head, ON)
• Communications coordinator Branden Crowe (Virden, MB)

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:

• Video coach Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB)
• Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (Guelph, ON)
• Athletic therapist Tracy Meloche (Essex, ON)
• Equipment managers Grant Boswall (Cornwall, PE), AJ Murley (St. John’s, NL) and Matina Landstad (West Vancouver, BC/University of Waterloo, OUA)
• Hockey operations manager Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON)
• Hockey operations coordinator Jacob Grison (Lion’s Head, ON)
• Media relations coordinator Branden Crowe (Virden, MB)

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.

CHARLOTTETOWN, Prince Edward Island – Canada’s National Para Hockey Team has earned the silver medal at the 2024 Para Cup, coming up short against the United States 4-1 in the gold medal game on Saturday night in Charlottetown.

Tyler McGregor (Forest, ON) scored the lone Canadian goal, tying the game 10:15 into the first period; it would be the last goal until the Americans broke open the game early in the third. Corbin Watson (Kingsville, ON) turned in a stellar performance in the Canadian goal, making 17 saves as the U.S. outshot Canada 21-12.

“Our team did great being ourselves. I loved this tournament; we got to demonstrate the depth of all three of our forward lines,” Adam Dixon (Midland, ON) said. “We just have to keep doing our job, keep doing what we are supposed to do every day when we are away from the rink and at home and we will see improvement in our next competition.”

Declan Farmer had a goal and two assists for the Americans, tying Canadians Greg Westlake (2011) and Brad Bowden (2011) for the single-tournament record with 18 points and setting a new single-tournament record with 11 goals.

Canada defeated Czechia and China before falling to the United States in the preliminary-round finale, and punched its ticket to the gold medal game by defeating Czechia 3-1 in the semifinals. McGregor finished the tournament as the leading Canadian scorer with nine points, recording seven goals and two assists in five games.

“We, for the most part, played to our identity. I really thought our forecheck was good tonight, we generated some chances and some offensive zone time. At the end, they were able to outperform us in the third period,” head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON) said. “I really liked the growth of our younger players in particular. For most of the games and tonight included, all the players we dress are finding ways to contribute whether that is on the scoresheet or getting out and changing momentum.”

China defeats Czechia to win first-ever bronze medal

Earlier in the day, China captured its first-ever medal at the Para Cup, shutting out Czechia 4-0 in the bronze medal game. Yifeng Shen led the way for China with two goals, while Yanzhao Ji made 12 saves for the shutout.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram, and by using #ParaCup.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 18 players who will be a part of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team at the 2024 Para Cup, Dec. 8-14 in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Three goaltenders, five defence and 10 forwards were selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON/York University, OUA) and Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON), manager of hockey operations. Assistant coaches Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB), Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Liam Heelis (Georgetown, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON) also provided input.

“The Para Cup is an exciting event as we showcase our game to Canadians across the country, and we are thrilled to bring the tournament back to Charlottetown this year,” Herrington said. “We are anticipating strong competition from China, Czechia and the United States, but we have prepared a competitive group set to represent Canada next month.”

The roster features 16 players who won 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’s National Para Hockey Team selected its roster from the 32 players who participated in evaluation camp, Sept. 27–Oct. 2 in Elmira, Ontario.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the medal games on Saturday, Dec. 14; please check local listings for details. All preliminary-round games and both semifinals will be livestreamed at HNLive.ca.

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.

OSTRAVA, Czechia – Canada’s National Para Hockey Team earned a silver medal for the third consecutive year at the 2024 International Para Hockey Cup, falling 5-3 to the United States in the gold medal game on Sunday at Ostravar Arena.

Auren Halbert (Calgary, AB), Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, ON) and James Dunn (Wallacetown, ON) scored for Canada in Sunday’s rematch of the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship gold medal game.

The United States responded quickly after each Canadian goal, getting a pair of power play markers from Declan Farmer (Clearwater, FL), helping the U.S. finish the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record, including a pair of wins over Canada.

“We have an understanding of what our identity is as a team and how we need to play night in and night out. I think today and yesterday we lived up to that and it gave us a chance to win,” said head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON/York University, OUA). “It’s difficult to win at this level and games often come down to little moments, and tonight the United States executed better in those moments than we did.”

Canada finished the preliminary round with a 2-1 record, defeating Italy in its first game of the tournament, dropping its second game to the United States before wrapping up the preliminary round with a victory over Czechia. Canada earned its spot in the gold medal game with a 1-0 overtime win over Czechia in the semifinals on Saturday.

Adam Kingsmill (Smithers, BC) was strong in net for the Canadians with 22 saves, while Dunn’sperformance, including a third-periodgoal, earned him Canada’s player of the game honours.

“We saw tremendous growth this week, especially from our younger players. A lot of guys got to play heavier minutes than they are used to. Guys like Vincent Boily (Alma, QC) and Shawn Burnett (McMasterville, QC) showed the amount of hard work they put in this summer,” added Herrington . “You’re always worried after winning a big tournament like Para Worlds that there may be some complacency, but a lot of our players came back in better shape than they’ve ever been in. I thought this was a very positive two-weeks together.”

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will now focus on the 2024 Para Hockey Cup, Dec. 8-14 in Charlottetown, PE. Full-event ticket packages are on sale now .

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.

ELMIRA, Ontario – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 18 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team at the International Para Hockey (IPH) Cup, Oct. 7-13 in Ostrava, Czechia.

Three goaltenders, five defencemen and 10 forwards were selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON/York University, OUA) and Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON), manager of hockey operations. Assistant coaches Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON) , Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON) also provided input.

“We are excited to begin our 2024-25 season overseas,” said Herrington. “We want to carry the momentum from our Para Worlds success and continue to develop and grow as a group. We had a competitive evaluation camp and are excited to face three strong teams in Czechia.”

The roster features 14 players who won a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in Calgary (Armstrong, Boily, Burnett, Cozzolino, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Jacobs-Webb, Kingsmill, Kovacevich, Lelièvre, McGregor, Watson) .

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team selected its roster from the 32 players who participated in evaluation camp, Sept. 27–Oct. 3 at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira, Ontario.

Canada opens its schedule at the IPH Cup against Italy at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT on Oct. 7. It will also face the United States (Oct. 8) in a rematch of the Para Worlds gold medal game, and the host Czechs (Oct. 10) in preliminary-round play. The semifinals are set for Oct. 12, with the medal games on Oct. 13.

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will travel to Ostrava:

• Video coach Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB)
• Equipment managers Grant Boswall (Cornwall, PE) and Matina Landstad (West Vancouver, BC/Toronto, PWHL)
• Physiotherapist Michael Lenart (Keswick, ON)
• Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (Guelph, ON)
•  Hockey operations director Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON)
• Hockey operations coordinator Miah Armitage (Creston, BC)

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.