The sport of sledge hockey, an innovative team sport that incorporates the same rules and discipline structure as regular hockey, was invented by three Swedish wheelchair athletes on a frozen lake in Stockholm in 1961.

The game was an instant success, and after only a couple years of development, five teams competed for the Stockholm City Championship.

The Swedish players subsequently introduced the sport to their Norwegian neighbors and regular matches between respective national teams ensued. Norway, in turn, introduced the sport to British wheelchair athletes. In the early 1980s, one of the inventors of sledge hockey, Rolf Johansson, a gold medal Paralympian in track wheelchair, gave one of his hockey sledges to Dick Loiselle, the former director of the 1976 Toronto Olympiad. Johansson did so under the condition that Loiselle introduce sledge hockey in Canada.

As a result of rapid growth of the sport, Sledge Hockey of Canada (SHOC) was created in 1993 and given the title of a national sport federation by the Government of Canada, to coordinate, develop and promote the sport of Sledge Hockey in Canada.

In 1994, sledge hockey was introduced as a demonstration sport at the Paralympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. The sport has since become a full medal event at the Paralympic Winter Games. Canada has participated in sledge hockey in each Paralympic Winter Games.

KEY DATES IN SLEDGE HOCKEY HISTORY

1961, Stockholm, Sweden: A club team attempts ice sledge hockey with smaller goals and no goalkeepers. Competition takes place on an open lake and round poles with bike handles are used as sticks.

1967, Stockholm, Sweden: Ice sledge hockey is admitted into a regular outdoor rink.

1969, Stockholm, Sweden: A league of five teams is formed. It includes athletes both with and without disabilities. The teams have no organized training and play only one or two games each year between 1971 and 1980.

1976, Ornskoldsvik, Sweden: At the first Olympic Winter Games for the Handicapped, an exhibition match is played between two Swedish teams. Ice sledge hockey coverage is shown on television for the first time.

1982, Les Diableretes, Switzerland: During the World Championship in Winter Sports, a demonstration game with athletes from Great Britain, Norway and Sweden, is conducted.

1986, Oslo, Norway: The first World Championship for ice sledge racing, ice sledge hockey, cross-country skiing and downhill sledge tobogganing is organized. Ice sledge hockey competitors include Sweden, Great Britain and Norway.

1991, Oslo, Norway: The first World Cup for ice sledge hockey includes participating countries Canada, Sweden, Great Britain, Norway and the USA. For the first time in 25 years, Sweden loses an ice sledge hockey match (to Canada).

1994, Lillehammer, Norway: Ice sledge hockey is included in the Paralympic Winter Games program under the IPC flag. Participating countries include Canada, Norway, Estonia, Sweden and Great Britain.