Canada’s Para ice hockey team was announced last week as a recipient of the 2018 Canadian Paralympic Sport Awards, in the category of Best Paralympic Games Team Performance. The Canadian squad will be honoured at the awards ceremony in Calgary on November 15, with captain Greg Westlake on hand to accept on behalf of his team.
The Canadians earned the silver in PyeongChang, their best Paralympic Games result since winning the gold in 2006 in Turin. The Canadians were fourth in Vancouver and third in Sochi.
The gold medal game against the U.S. came down to the wire. The Americans tied the game 1-1 with 37 seconds remaining in regulation time then won it in overtime.
Team Canada fun facts:
- 10 of the 17 players on the Canadian team were on the 2014 Paralympic Games roster.
- It was a fifth Games for Billy Bridges.
- Bridges’ goal in the gold-medal game was the only one allowed by U.S. goaltender Steve Cash in his four games in the tournament.
- Tyler McGregor and Liam Hickey were third and fourth in tournament scoring with 13 and 11 points.
- Six of the top-10 scorers in PyeongChang were from Canada.
- Adam Dixon was named the tournament’s top defenceman.
- Canada was number one in goals for, putting 43 pucks in the net through five games.
- Canada dominated its opponents through the preliminary round and semifinal play. The team outscored Sweden, Italy, Norway, and South Korea 42-0 while allowing only 13 shots on goal.
- It may be hard to believe but it was the first Canada-USA Para ice hockey final in Paralympic Games history.
- Liam Hickey played on Canada’s wheelchair basketball team at the 2016 Paralympic Games. He scored two goals in the opening game in PyeongChang in his Para ice hockey Games debut.
- Brad Bowden also played on Canada’s wheelchair basketball team at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. He has attended the past four Paralympic Winter Games on the Para ice hockey team
