Sled hockey made its debut in the Paralympic Winter Games Lillehammer 1994, nearly four decades after the sport’s invention in a Stockholm, Sweden rehabilitation center. The first U.S. Paralympic Ice Hockey team was formed in 1990, but did not compete until 1998 at the Paralympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, where they placed sixth. Since that relatively modest start, Team USA has medaled in five straight Paralympic Winter Games, winning four golds and one bronze. 

Continuing our collaboration with several National Governing Bodies (NGBs) leading up to the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, we worked with USA Hockey to see what insights we could unlock for the USA Para Sled Hockey Team. Dan Brennan, director of Sled Hockey Programs for USA Hockey, thought we should take a look at the impact of its development program, which has significantly contributed to the team’s success. In 2006, the team had only 17 male players try out at its development camp. Last year, the team sent out roughly 85 invitations for spots on its roster. The camp invites players ages 13 to 35 to participate. This gives athletes an early exposure to USA Para Sled Hockey Team coaches, creating a talent pipeline influenced directly by USA Hockey.

The Development Team, established officially by USA Hockey in 2011, has fueled a talent pipeline, becoming the single-biggest source of athletes for the USA Para Sled Hockey Team. In 2014, the National and Paralympic teams consisted of just 43% of players who started  on the Development team. In 2022, that number has grown to nearly 71%. 

The team’s makeup has shifted in other ways. As with most Olympic and Paralympic medalists, the USA Para Sled Hockey team has traveled to the White House numerous times. Every time, they have also visited wounded veterans in Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Over the past decade, Team USA has seen a strong shift in military participation, with many veterans receiving their first exposure to the sport while recovering in Bethesda and other military trauma recovery centers. Many of these veterans can easily identify with the team-first mentality, competitive focus, and skills advancement they see exhibited in sled hockey. Forty percent of this year’s roster has military status. 

Much like ice hockey, the growth of sled hockey is spreading geographically across the United States. This year's 17-player roster hails from 12 different states, with the most from Massachusetts. Historically, New York has produced the most (13) sled hockey players. States like Colorado (9), Texas (5), Tennessee (4) have strong representation as athletes have begun to train with NHL-affiliated and other club sled hockey teams.