Greg Westlake returns to the ice, determined not to miss golden opportunity

CALGARY – There is one thing five-time Paralympian Greg Westlake doesn’t have experience in – coming back from retirement as a high performance athlete.

The 39-year-old Para ice hockey scoring sensation announced last month that he would step down from his assistant coaching role with the national team to rejoin his teammates on the ice, aiming to compete at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, March 6-15 in Milano Cortina, Italy.

‘’I came back because it’s the greatest game in the world,’’ said Westlake to CPC at Hockey Canada’s media day last month. ‘’I love playing it. I think if you have something you’re passionate about in life, even if it’s one thing – for me that’s always been playing hockey.’’

Westlake is Canada’s second leading scorer all-time with 175 goals and 194 assists for 369 points in 240 games. At the Paralympic Games he helped Canada to gold in 2006, fourth in 2010, bronze in 2014, and silver in 2018 and 2022.

Most importantly for Westlake was his family and the team were all very supportive for his return.

‘’My wife was encouraging me. I want my children to see me play for the first time ever. And then finally, it’s a credit to the group in the room right now, the amazing leadership group and the players on the team.’’

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After Beijing 2022, Westlake joined the coaching ranks as an assistant. In 2024 he helped guide Canada to its first world title in seven years. He would like to repeat that experience with Paralympic gold.

‘’As a coach you get to see the culture that the guys have right now, and I want to be a part of that.”

Westlake’s got a handful of teammates who have also taken similar breaks from the national team, whether it was a short-lived retirement or just a mental break from the stress and excellence constantly required in high performance sport.

Defenceman Adam Dixon, on track for a fifth Games in 2026, was out of action between 2019 and 2021 as he contemplated his future in sport. Dixon, unanimously considered the most comical player on the team, was quick to tease his longtime teammate.

‘’Honestly it just means our dressing room got way louder,” joked Dixon. ‘’Seriously, having Greg back means there’s a wealth of experience. He brings calm veteran leadership, and we have a very competitive guy in practice back which is going to keep us sharp.’’

‘’I feel bad for some of the rookies who have never practiced with him because they’re in for an experience.’’

Goaltender Corbin Watson, a two-time Paralympian, missed the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games as he sat out a couple of seasons to look after his mental health.

“It’s about getting back into routine and game shape,” said Watson. “That’s the toughest part, but it comes eventually.”

Forward Dominic Cozzolino took a break from the team and didn’t compete at the 2022 Paralympics. He says Para ice hockey is a sport that requires a strict routine.

“You take a week or two out of your sled and it can feel like you’ve never played before, because it’s such a hard sport in terms of physicality, the strength and the skill it takes,” said Cozzolino. “You also have to be ambidextrous. When you’re not actively working on those things on a day-to-day basis, it becomes really, really hard to just jump back in and play at a high level.’’

Cozzolino was happy to welcome Westlake back to the ice. 

‘’We’re all so pumped to see him back. Greg talked a ton about this when he was kind of toying with the idea of coming back, and so we’ve known this was coming for a while.

‘’I couldn’t be happier for him. ‘’

Westlake, who had both legs amputated below the knee at 18 months, is ready to take any role with the team. The upcoming training sessions and tournaments will solidify the team’s strategy for the Games. But there’s no doubt his leadership and presence cannot be measured.

“In October, I hope I get a chance to get into my first game,’’ he said. “Can I go to the net and score? Can I get in on the forecheck and input some pressure on their defensemen, have the patience after not playing for a little bit to be calm in my defense zone and not run around?

‘’There are all these questions that I want answers.’’

Westlake is betting that his courage, along with the experience, passion and talent that defined his career, will carry him all the way to Milano Cortina.