Sports

Para Ice Hockey

Declan Farmer of United States in action against Korea in the para ice hockey preliminary round at PyeongChang 2018. (Martin Rose/Getty Images)

What's it all about?

Have you ever gone on a bumper car ride? What about a bumper car ride on ice? Add a puck, a couple of nets and some trusty hockey sticks, and you’ve got fast and furious para ice hockey.

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The sport: Just like ice hockey, but this sport is for athletes with lower body impairments. Five players plus a goaltender on each side try to score goals by putting the puck in the other team’s net.

The equipment: Players use a sledge — think of it as a seat mounted on a skate — to zip around the ice. Plus, a pair of short hockey sticks that double as picks to help the athletes move around. And don’t forget pads and helmets. (See pictures below.)

The strategy: Defend your own net while trying to score a goal on the opposing team.

The points: A goal is one point. Finish the game with the most points and you win.

The athletes: Para ice hockey is all about upper body strength and stamina. It also pays to have speed and quick hands.

Did you know? Para ice hockey was invented in the 1960’s by a group of Swedes, all of whom had lower body impairments.

Things to watch for

Morten Vaersen (R) of Norway battles for the puck with Pavel Dolezal of Czech Republic in the ice hockey classification game during PyeongChang 2018. (Martin Rose/Getty Images)

The Sledge

Para ice hockey players maneuver around the rink while strapped into a sledge.
The sledge has blades under the seat, and a raised section at the front for the puck to pass under.
For this reason, para ice hockey actually used to be called sledge hockey.

Dom Cozzolino #19 of Canada battles for the puck with Lee Yong Min of Korea in the para ice hockey semi final game between Canada and Korea at PyeongChang 2018. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Double Sticks

Para ice hockey players use two sticks at the same time.
Each stick has two ends, one end is a curved hockey stick for passing and shooting.
The other end is a metal pick, and is used to dig into the ice, either to stop, turn or pick up speed.

Japan's goalkeeper Shinobu Fukushima makes a save against Norway during PyeongChang 2018. (Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images)

Goalie Gear

Goaltenders are allowed to have an extra pick on the end of their sticks.
Or they can opt to use a trapper glove or the standard curved stick.

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Para ice hockey was added to the Paralympics in 1994.
So far, there’s only a men’s tournament in the Paralympic Games, but women play para ice hockey too. In fact, some have occassionally played on men's teams in the Paralympics.
Canada has come away with a medal at nearly every Paralympic Games, missing out only in 2002 and 2010.