Quick facts

Birthdate

July 31, 1997

Hometown

Essex, ON

Residence

Essex, ON

Sport

Para ice hockey

Experience

Beijing 2022

Zach Lavin just missed the cut for the 2018 Paralympic Games roster. But since then he’s been a national stalwart.

He made an impressive international debut with Team Canada at the 2019 World Championships. Lavin was 10th in tournament scoring (fourth Canadian) with three goals and five assists for eight points.

In 2021, he was one of 17 players selected to represent Canada at the worlds held once again in Ostrava, Czech Republic. At both worlds, the Canadians earned a silver medal.  Subsequently he competed at the last three worlds including the 2024 team that won gold as well as the 2022 Paralympic Games team that took silver.

For the 2023 worlds, he switched from forward to defenceman. In February 2015, Lavin got lost on a hiking trip in Kananaskis Country for three days and suffered severe frostbite.  In March 2016, he made the difficult decision to undergo surgery to have both feet amputated about 30 centimetres below his knees.

Before his accident, Lavin was involved in several sports like badminton, wrestling, volleyball, basketball and track field. Hockey wasn’t one of them.  He credits Para hockey players Chris Cederstrand and Steve Arsenault in helping fast track in the sport.

Lavin is an engineering student at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

2025 IPC World Championships 2nd

2024 IPC World Championships 1st

2023 IPC World Championships 2nd

2021 World Championships – 2nd

2019 World Championships – 2nd

Paralympic Medals

1