PARADISE, N.L. – Canada’s National Para Hockey Team finished with the silver medal at the 2019 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup after a tight 2-1 loss to the United States on Saturday night at the Paradise Double Ice Complex.

It is the seventh silver medal for the Canadians (2009, 2012, January 2016, December 2016, 2017, 2018 2019) to go along with five gold (2007, 2008, April 2011, November 2011, 2013) and one bronze (2015).

“I thought it was an amazing game. The atmosphere was electric and [Paradise] put on a tremendous event,” said Canadian captain Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.). “It was a physical and fast game, exactly what we’d expect out of a match-up against the U.S.

“I thought we showed a lot of resilience and a lot of persistence in battling back. We had an unreal third period, so we’re going home proud of the effort we put forth. I think the product on the ice, not only tonight but all week, was outstanding and for our sport that’s exactly what we asked for.”

The Americans struck first midway through the second period and got another six minutes into the third before Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.) cut the lead to one just over a minute later with his 189th career goal. Despite several late chances, the Canadians couldn’t find the equalizer.

Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que.) was terrific in the Canadian goal, finishing with 19 saves in a crowd-pleasing performance.

“This has been an amazing tournament. I never thought I would get the opportunity to represent my country and province in front of my home crowd,” Said Liam Hickey (St. John’s, N.L.). “Knowing how much work my family and friends have put into this, and to see it go off so well, I am honored that Hockey Canada could come here and we could showcase Newfoundland to the whole world.”

Russia blanks Czechs to win bronze

Russia ensured it left the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup with a medal for the third time in four appearances, earning a 5-0 win over the Czech Republic for bronze. Nikolai Terentev led the way with two goals for the Russians, who also won bronze in 2013 and silver in January 2016. Ilia Volkov, Airat Khamzin and Aleksei Eremin also scored, while Evgenii Plotnikov made nine saves for the shutout 

The 2020 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup will be played in Bridgewater, N.S.

For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Twitter.com/HC_Para and Twitter.com/HC_ParaCup.

PARADISE, N.L. – Paradise is set to open its doors to the world as four teams go for gold at the 2019 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, Dec. 1-7.

The Paradise Double Ice Complex will welcome Canada, the Czech Republic, Russia and the United States. Canada has won the tournament, known as the World Sledge Hockey Challenge until 2017, five times, most recently in 2013, while the U.S. is looking for a sixth-consecutive gold medal.

"It is a very exciting time right now; the rink is rebranded, volunteers are ready and we can't wait to see these amazing athletes provide lasting memories for themselves and the fans,” said Don Dyke, chair of the host organizing committee. “This is an event we haven't seen before, and fans shouldn’t miss the opportunity to see the best of the best on the ice, including our own Liam Hickey playing for Team Canada."

In the past, the event has created more than $1 million in local economic impact, with the net proceeds of the event benefiting local minor and para hockey programs in Paradise and the surrounding area.

Full-event ticket packages are on sale for $69 at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets. Packages include all six preliminary-round games, both semifinals and the bronze and gold medal games. All preliminary-round games, the semifinals and the bronze medal game will be streamed live at HockeyCanada.ca. The gold medal game will be shown live on TSN, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partner, on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. AT/2 p.m. PT; check local listings for details.

For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Twitter.com/HC_Para and Twitter.com/HC_ParaCup.

Just over eight months after its heartbreaking overtime loss to the United States in the gold medal game at the Paralympics, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team gets a new season underway this week at the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup.

But the Team Canada that takes the ice in London will look much different than the one that came within 37.8 seconds of a gold medal in PyeongChang.

Six players from the Paralympic roster are gone, taking time away from the game to nurse injuries and explore their options outside of the game, and there are some notable names among the half-dozen.

The list includes captain Greg Westlake, top defencemen Steve Arsenault, Brad Bowden and Adam Dixon, and forwards Ben Delaney and Bryan Sholomicki; those six players combined for 13 goals and 39 points in South Korea, numbers that will not be easily replaced.

But the absences mean opportunity for six Team Canada rookies making their debuts in London, and head coach Ken Babey likes what those players will bring to the ice.

“I think we’re going to be faster, and I think we’re going to have a lot more energy because of the youth, and hopefully that bodes well for us,” Babey says. “We may be inexperienced at times, but overall we’re still the Canadian team that we have been, and over time we’re going to be stronger than ever.”

And it’s not as if the Canadians are lacking firepower or leadership. The top five scorers from the Paralympics – led by Tyler McGregor and Liam Hickey – are back, and there is plenty of veteran know-how to go around.

“I think the veterans are the key,” Babey says. “Coaches can talk and show things, but it’s really the veteran players that do it in a variety of ways, like being friends, socializing, showing it on the ice, explaining things peer-to-peer, and I think that has a more powerful impact than anything else.

“Our guys have done a really good job, and they’ve responded to that and we’ll see this week how we go. The real test is going to be when you get under pressure and get in some battles, and we’ll see how we do. I like our chances and I like the way the guys have come along.”

They have also benefitted from international experience with Canada’s National Para Hockey Development Team. All six new faces – Alexis Auclair, Rod Crane, Cody Dolan, Anton Jacobs-Webb, Micah Kovacevich and Garrett Riley – have played with the development side, and know the expectations that come with wearing the Maple Leaf.

And despite a new-look roster, those expectations haven’t changed.

“If you play hockey for Canada and your goal is anything but trying to win every single game, then you’re not a Canadian hockey player,” says Billy Bridges, who enters his 21st season with the national team as the all-time leader in games played (219), goals, (183), assists (200) and points (383). “We do appreciate that there is a process and that we do have new players, but veteran or rookie, we need to take pride in our effort.”

The 2018-19 season marks the beginning of a new four-year Paralympic cycle, with sights set directly on Beijing and the 2022 Games, so what better time to reimagine Team Canada?

There may be 1,188 days to go until the Opening Ceremony in China, but the work starts now.

“Right from the get-go, we’ve placed an emphasis on the next four years of developing para hockey in Canada and that starts with this team here,” says Bridges. “It’s special to feed off the energy [of the rookies] and redefine the culture on our team. The guys who aren’t with us this year are impossible shoes to fill, and I hope these guys realize that now is the time for them to establish their own identity as players.”

LONDON, Ont. – Looking to build off its Paralympic silver medal, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will be in London, Ont., for the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, Dec. 2-8, 2018.

The Western Fair Sports Centre will host Canada, Korea and the United States – the three para hockey medallists from the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games - as they compete for the gold medal in a tournament that dates back to 2007 as the World Sledge Hockey Challenge. The Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup is one in a series of international tournaments that showcase the best of the world’s para hockey athletes.

The schedule for the tournament includes six preliminary-round games from Dec. 2-7, and the gold medal game on Saturday, Dec. 8. Fans will be able to take advantage of the best pricing option with the full-tournament package, which include all seven games for only $45.

“London is very fortunate to have been chosen to hold the prestigious Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup,” said Todd Sargeant, chair of the local host organizing committee. “The sport has grown since London first hosted in 2011 and the games will be even faster, more fierce and action-packed than before. We believe that this event will increase para hockey interest and the legacy from the tournament will improve the sport locally for the London Blizzard.”

“These athletes are incredibly dedicated to their team and to their sport, and it shows when they get on the ice,” said Scott Smith, president and COO of Hockey Canada. “This tournament is not only a way to showcase the very best in para hockey, but a way to let Canadians see how much the sport positively impacts a community.”

“We are thrilled to have been selected to host the newly-rebranded Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup in London this December,” said Tony Foresi, chair of the Ontario Hockey Federation Board of Directors. “The event will positively impact the community well beyond the games on the ice with revenue used to increase community awareness and make the sport accessible to as many individuals as possible. “It’s absolutely outstanding how the residents of London and surrounding area come out to support these great events, knowing well that they are aiding in the opportunity for youth to participate in the great game of hockey.”

All preliminary games will be streamed live at HockeyCanada.ca, while the gold medal game will be shown on TSN/RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners.

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

LONDON, Ont. – Hockey Canada will be back in London this December with world-class hockey at the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, Dec. 1-8, 2018, at the Western Fair Sports Centre.

In London as part of the Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Golf, Hockey Canada announced that long-standing partner Canadian Tire has signed on as the title sponsor of what was formerly known as the World Sledge Hockey Challenge – an international para hockey event that brings together Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and three top para hockey nations for a week-long tournament. The newly-branded Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup will debut in London the first week of December.

“Playing on home ice is always exciting, but to know we’ll be here in London, so close to my hometown of Wallacetown, is very special,” said James Dunn, the 17-year-old Paralympic silver-medallist who recorded two goals and five assists over five games at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang last March. “This event is one of the most prestigious on the international para hockey calendar, and to have such a great partner as Canadian Tire on board will continue to elevate the event for our team, and for the other nations invited to take part. My teammates and I are looking forward to having London and area hockey fans come out to cheer us on this December.”

London has a history of hosting Hockey Canada events, including this very tournament in 2011 where Canada won gold, as well as the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge – not to mention a pre-tournament game last December featuring the Canadian squad that eventually became the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship gold-medallist.

“We are so pleased to host yet another Hockey Canada event with the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup,” said Mayor Matt Brown. “We are a sports city through and through, and this once again proves that. I am very much looking forward to this event. I know our community will support it in so many ways.”

“Canadian Tire is passionate about hockey, from kids of all abilities getting on the ice for the first time, to our national team playing for gold, and all the families and fans in between,” said Jeffrey Orridge, senior vice-president, community and partnerships, Canadian Tire Corporation. “We are proud to help bring the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup to London, and look forward to cheering on Team Canada in December.”

As with other Hockey Canada events, London will benefit from the net profits of all ticket sales to the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, which remain in the community as part of the event legacy to help grow the game. Historically, the tournament has brought an economic injection of more than $1 million to the host community.

“Para hockey is growing across the country, and we’re proud of the growth and uptake we’ve seen here in the London community,” said Todd Sargeant, chair of the local host organizing committee of the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup. “We know that London will be out in full force to support this event – from sponsors, to volunteers, to fans in the stands. We’re looking forward to bringing a taste of the exciting action we all got to enjoy from these last Paralympic Games to our hockey community of London.”

To learn more about Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, and the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, (TSX:CTC.A) (TSX:CTC) or "CTC," is a family of businesses that includes a retail segment, a financial services division and CT REIT. Our retail business is led by Canadian Tire, which was founded in 1922 and provides Canadians with products for life in Canada across its Living, Playing, Fixing, Automotive and Seasonal & Gardening divisions. PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The retail segment also includes Mark's, a leading source for casual and industrial wear, and FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, National Sports, Intersport, Pro Hockey Life and Atmosphere), which offers the best active wear brands. The approximately 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division and the tens of thousands of people employed across the Company and its local dealers, franchisees and petroleum retailers. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca.

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Canada’s National Sledge Team finished with silver at the 2017 World Sledge Hockey Challenge after a 3-2 loss to the United States in the gold medal game Saturday night.

In the 11-year history of the tournament, Canada has now won five gold medals, five silver and one bronze.

“Our guys made a valiant effort. Any chances we had, we either missed or [U.S. goaltender Steve] Cash shut us down,” said Team Canada head coach, Ken Babey (Saskatoon, Sask.). “We just got off to a flat start and turned too many pucks over early in the game; it’s a tough thing to do when you’re playing a U.S. team that has good speed and fire power and that was the turning point.”

The United States had taken a three-goal lead before Adam Dixon (Midland, Ont.) connected with Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) to capitalize on a two-man advantage and put Canada on the board midway through the second period.

Liam Hickey (St. John’s, N.L.) added a second Canadian goal off a McGregor set-up with 10 minutes to go in the third to aid in the comeback attempt. Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que.) finished with 11 saves in the Canadian goal.

“Anytime you put yourselves down three it’s tough to get back, especially against a team like that,” McGregor said. “We showed a bit of resilience trying to come back. We had a good third, but trying to come from behind the eight-ball like that is pretty tough. It’s frustrating because we know we’re better than that. We certainly have a lot of motivation to get as good as we can and continue building for Korea [and the Paralympic Winter Games].”

Earlier in the day, Korea doubled up Italy 6-3 in the bronze medal game, medalling for the second time in three years.

The four-team tournament provided edge-of-your-seat action for fans taking in 10 games over five days at MacLauchlan Arena. Team Canada immersed itself in the community with local school presentations, visiting the seniors’ active living centre, as well as meet-and-greets with minor hockey teams.

More than 2,800 school kids packed the arena throughout the week to cheer on the athletes through the local school progam. The World Sledge Hockey Challenge will also leave a lasting legacy in the area as proceeds from the event will go back into the community to be re-invested into the growth of sledge hockey.

The World Sledge Hockey Challenge is the latest stop on Team Canada’s road to PyeongChang and the 2018 Paralympics. The tournament follows the three-game series against Korea in Gangneung, South Korea last month. Action continues in February with a two-game series against the United States ahead of the Games.

For more information on the Hockey Canada and Canada’s sledge hockey programs, visit HockeyCanada.ca and follow along via social media at Facebook and Twitter.

Luke Pierce’s year has been a whirlwind, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

In June, Pierce was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League. Already signed up to serve as an assistant coach with Canada Red at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, he added more Hockey Canada responsibilities when he joined Canada’s National Sledge Team an assistant.

“The coaching journey is never linear. You never really know where it is going to take you,” Pierce says. “When Shawn [Bullock, senior manager of hockey operations and men’s national teams with Hockey Canada] first threw the idea by me, it was out of left field, but I took some time to talk to some people that have done it.

“Right from day one, it seemed like something I really wanted to do. I think as trying as my time was in Kootenay, this was a great reset button.”

The Merritt, B.C., product has spent eight seasons behind the bench, joining the coaching ranks as soon as he finished his university career with the Royal Military College in 2009.

Pierce was general manager and head coach of his hometown Merritt Centennials of the B.C. Hockey League for six years and head coach of the Ice for two before being replaced after the team was sold this summer.

“I think the greatest part about coaching is constantly learning,” he says. “The moment you stop making mistakes and stop learning is when you are done. I loved my time in Merritt, but it was certainly time to move on. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity in Kootenay.”

Now it’s on to para hockey, and a new challenge – helping get Team Canada ready for the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

“This was a cool opportunity and I am excited,” Pierce says. “My timing couldn’t have been better … these guys have been slugging away at this for four years and I got to slide right in at the time when we are headed for glory.”

Pierce will serve as assistant under head coach Ken Babey, who has been with Team Canada since 2015. The 2017 World Sledge Hockey Challenge will be the first time the two have been behind the bench together, but Babey believes Pierce will be a great fit.

“Luke is a former player and a good communicator, passionate about the game and team orientated – those are all things that we are looking for in a coach that works on our staff and our team,” says Babey. “He is also within the age group of some of our players, so I think he can help with bridging the gap in communication and working with the players on an individual basis.”

The learning curve has been steep for Pierce; he has had to absorb a lot in a short period of time to get ready for Charlottetown. Para hockey is especially different from the stand-up game from a tactical perspective, not to mention understanding the personalities of the players, and the culture of the team.

“My biggest concern was if it was a different game, but I have been surprised with how little it does vary. Obviously, there are some things that are different about it, but the game stays the game,” said Pierce.

“I was shocked at how incredible these athletes are and the pace of the game that they play at and their skill level. It has been good for me to try and find new ways to help them because they are already masters at their sport. I am trying to bring little things that we can add to create wrinkles for other teams.”

Pierce also won’t hesitate to lean on his previous international experience; he was an assistant with Canada West at the 2014 World Junior A Challenge in addition to his U17 position this season.

In northern B.C. last month, Pierce helped Red to a silver-medal finish.

“The U17s was a great experience. Short-term tournaments are all about peaking at the right time, staying patient and building towards that final goal,” he says. “For me and this role, I can focus on those little things that might go unnoticed. Ken has a great handle on the rest of the stuff and I will do whatever I can to support so we peak at the right moment.”

And when this para hockey ride is over?

Pierce isn’t sure where he will end up next, but he isn’t too worried. The hockey world is a small one, and when this chapter ends, he’s excited for a new one to begin.

“Right now, this has been a great dose of reality. What these guys have done and what they have overcome is inspiring,” he says. “I am going to enjoy the hell out of this. If something comes along next, which I am sure it will, I will be a bit more grounded.”

James Gemmell knows what it’s like to be cut from Canada’s National Sledge Team. After debuting with the team at the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge – held, coincidentally, in Charlottetown, P.E.I. – subsequent appearances were few and far between for a couple of seasons.

“I was new to the sport at that point,” he says. “You get with these national team players and they’re all so fast and skilled, so it was tough to adapt and learn what I needed to in order to play at the international level.”

Gemmell did adjust his game and for the last six years has been a steady presence on the team’s blue-line.

But by the end of the 2015-16 season he found himself in an uncomfortably familiar situation. The game had gotten faster, and just like eight years ago, Gemmell was at risk of being left behind.

“We told him the way this team is moving with speed and puck skills, you’re going to have to do a lot of work this summer in order to crack the line-up next year,” says Ken Babey, head coach of Canada’s National Sledge Team. “It’s always been our thing to be honest and upfront and to give somebody a path if that’s the path they want to choose.”

Gemmell has no shortage of dedication to his sport. The sole member of Canada’s National Sledge Team to live in British Columbia, he often trains alone. But with no ice to practice on for nearly five months of the year in Quesnel, it can affect his training and conditioning. By Gemmell’s own admission he was carrying around more than he should.

“I’ve seen the way the game of sledge hockey has evolved since I started playing 10 years ago, and it’s not a game for guys with extra weight,” he says. “It’s not the game where they’re going to ask you to go out there and just throw big body checks anymore.”

Sledge hockey is now a finesse game, and the coaches challenged Gemmell to adapt to the changing times by getting leaning and stronger.

That started with a hand bike.

Gemmell rode up to 60 kilometres day, up to five days a week, in and around Quesnel. For all those hills he climbed up, the pounds stayed behind.

Twenty-two pounds later – and lighter – Gemmell is a new player.

“Coach was calling me ‘Slim Jim’ the first time he saw me,” says Gemmell. “As soon as I walked in everyone noticed right away and made comments on it, which makes you feel a lot more accomplished when people notice the second they see you that you’ve put in some work to help the team.”

He’s gone from being one of the slower players on the team to one of the fastest. His shot has improved, as have his puck-handling skills.

“There’s a guy who wants to be here and rose to the challenge,” says Babey. “It’s the whole reason you coach – you see the changes in people in a positive way. It makes you feel very proud and very honoured to be working with them as their coach.”

And the changes go below the surface, too.

“I’m a lot more confident,” says Gemmell. “Losing that weight and getting a bit more speed brought a lot of confidence to my game. I feel that out on the ice.”

What Gemmell wouldn’t allow himself to feel was what he did eight years ago. Lessons learned from those early cuts stayed with him. He knew what he would miss by not playing, and he wasn’t prepared to leave that part of his life behind.

“Kids grow up dreaming of playing for Team Canada, and I’ve been blessed with that opportunity,” says Gemmell, who has played 64 games and won eight gold medals for Canada’s National Sledge Team. Now 36, he’s the oldest player on the team. “I’m getting older and older and my career is getting shorter and shorter, so to have that taken away from me now, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to make it back.”

Instead, Gemmell has returned to Charlottetown, a renewed player back where it all began.

“I was over the top with excitement to be there but nervous,” he says. This week’s World Sledge Hockey Challenge marks his first trip to the city since then. “I’m excited to be back. I just want to play hockey. That’s all I want to do is go out and play the game. It’s what I love to do.”