PORT COLBORNE, Ont. – Canada’s National Sledge Team will face its cross-border rivals in its final preparations ahead of the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

The team holds its final training camp Feb. 5-10, in Port Colborne, Ont., where it will be involved in on-and off-ice training and preparations, meetings, and sessions all focused towards the competition it will face at the Games next month in PyeongChang, South Korea.  

“This is an exciting time for us as we are in the final training stage ahead of the Paralympics,” said head coach Ken Babey. “All 20 players on our national team have shown their commitment and dedication through this process. They have been focused on their training regime, putting us in the best possible shape to represent our country and bring home a gold medal.”

Included in the training is a home-and-home series with the United States as the teams meet Feb. 8 at HarborCenter in Buffalo, N.Y., followed by a game at the Vale Health and Wellness Centre in Port Colborne at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 10.

Following the series, Canada will name its final 17-player roster selected to wear the Maple Leaf in pursuit of Canada’s second Paralympic gold medal.

Canada’s National Sledge Team includes 17 players (Armstrong, Arsenault, Bowden, Bridges, Cozzolino, Delaney, Dixon, Gemmell, Henry, Hickey, Larocque, McGregor, Sholomicki, Smith, Sorley, Watson and Westlake) who won gold at the 2017 IPC World Para Hockey Championship in Gangneung, South Korea, last April.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Sledge Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Sledge.