Dominic Cozzolino living out his dream 2.0

CALGARY – As a kid growing up in Mississauga, Ont., Dominic Cozzolino spent hours in backyard rinks and in the local minor hockey system with dreams of Olympic gold for Canada and a Stanley Cup triumph.

It may not look exactly as originally pictured, but incredibly, dreams have started to turn into reality for Cozzolino.

There he was in the final at the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championships in Calgary. He notched Canada’s first goal at the 0:35 mark of the second period as the Canadians defeated the Americans 2-1 for their first world championship title since 2017.

Just the night before he scored the winner with under 13 minutes remaining in the team’s 2-1 semifinal win over China.

‘’Para hockey has been a second chance for me to live out my childhood dream,’’ said the 30-year-old Cozzolino, third in tournament scoring at those worlds with seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in five games. 

‘’I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to learn to play the sport I love… twice.’’

At age 14 in 2009, his initial dream seemed to vanish. He was diagnosed with a spinal injury during a game.

‘’I thought my life was over,” he said. “I lost my identity.  I wanted to play in the NHL. There was no Plan B.

‘’As a kid every time I put on that jersey it made me proud.

‘’Here I am today still living those dreams I had when I was shooting pucks on the driveway pretending to be Joe Sakic.’’

He turned to Para ice hockey just a few years after his injury and in 2017 made his debut with the national team. He is now one of the world’s best in the sport.

Off the ice, Cozzolino is already mapping his game plan for his post competitive career. And it appears he wants to stay on planet sport. He recently competed a degree through Athabasca University and now works for the Canadian Paralympic Committee as an intern on the partnerships team.

‘’It’s been awesome,’’ the two-time Paralympian said about being able to help grow awareness of Para sport. “I get to work with people who share the same passion and goals I do, which is to open more eyes to the power of Para sport.

‘’It’s something I really believe in.’’

He also believes in Canada’s ability to win the gold medal at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, Italy in March. While Canada relinquished the world crown to the U.S. in 2025 (Cozzolino was the top Canadian scorer at those worlds), the impact of the 2024 title can’t be overstated.

Cozzolino says the squad has rediscovered its edge.

‘’That moment gave us belief,’’ he said about the 2024 victory. ‘’It reminded us what we are capable of. We’ve got a strong group right now. Everyone’s hungry, everyone’s bought in.

‘’The challenge now is to show up on game day and bring our best when it matters most.’’