Tyler McGregor emerges from Forest, Ont. to the world stage

TORONTO – For Canada’s Para ice hockey captain Tyler McGregor, there are few topics that rival his passion for the sport but one is his hometown, Forest, Ont.

In Para ice hockey circles, McGregor is one of the sport’s biggest stars. The high scoring three-time Paralympian is a three-time world champion with two silvers and a bronze in Paralympic Games place. Off the ice he is an advocate for his sport, the Paralympic Movement, and cancer research.

McGregor is from Forest, located in southwestern Ontario not far from the shores of Lake Huron. As a youngster he dreamed of one day playing in the NHL. McGregor was a standout player back then reaching the AAA level.

Considered an OHL prospect, he broke his leg in a game at age 15 and was later diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, leading to leg amputation on the day of the 2010 OHL Draft.  It appeared at that point that the dream was over.

Between the diagnosis and the amputation, the Vancouver 2010 Games were happening. That’s when he first discovered the Paralympic Games and just over a year later, he tried Para ice hockey for the first time.

‘’I really started to invest in myself,’’ he recalled. ‘’I researched the athletes on Team Canada, became their biggest fan, and realized this was an opportunity to play the sport I loved at the highest level.

‘’That’s when I was all in.”

Etched in McGregor’s memory are lessons of his early mentors, including his bantam coach Greg Biggs who first encouraged him to try a sled after his cancer diagnosis.

‘’At the time it was just a conversation,’’ McGregor said. ‘’But it was the push I needed, more than he probably knew. That’s the impact a coach can have.’’

Through it all, Forest has always been there.

‘’They’ve been through everything (with me),” McGregor said. ‘’When I was first diagnosed, the whole community rallied. They packed the arena for a charity game to raise money for cancer research.

‘’During my first Paralympics every storefront in town had a ‘Go Canada Go’ sign. That’s the type of people they are, they show up when things are good and when things are hard.

‘’Forest will always be home.’’