Is sledge hockey in the Paralympics?

Para ice hockey (formerly sledge hockey) was added to the Paralympic Winter Games in 1994.

How is sledge hockey played at the Paralympics?

U.S. Paralympics Just as in ice hockey, sled hockey is played with six players (including a goalie) at a time. Players propel themselves on their sledge by use of spikes on the ends of two three-foot-long sticks, enabling a player to push himself as well as shoot and pass ambidextrously.

Is sled hockey in Special Olympics?

The United States Paralympic Sled Hockey Team represents the United States at the Paralympic Winter Games. The event is held every four years directly following the Winter Olympic Games in the same city that hosts the Winter Olympics.

Is sled hockey a Paralympic sport?

Since its debut at the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Games, the Paralympic version of ice hockey has quickly become one of the largest attractions for spectators. It is fast-paced, highly physical and played by male and female athletes with a physical impairment in the lower part of the body.

Who can play para ice hockey?

Sledge hockey incorporates almost all of the same rules as regular ice hockey, and is available to male and female athletes. There is only one classification requirement to play para ice hockey for athletes, the must have a physical disability to their lower body, that prevents them from playing able-bodied hockey.

Do you have to be disabled to play sledge hockey?

“To play sled hockey, the only requirement is that you have a disability that prohibits you from playing stand-up.

How do sledge hockey players get on and off the ice?

Sledge hockey consists of players being moved about an ice surface on a “sledge” instead of traditional skates – this design allows the puck to pass underneath the player. The traditional hockey stick is replaced with a shorter version that has a spiked end and a different lie to help move the players around the ice.

Where is sled hockey played?

Sled hockey, or sledge hockey, as it is referred to outside of the United States, originated in Sweden in 1940 and has been played in Europe since 1971. Canada soon followed the trend and boasts the largest program in the world.

Is hockey sled or sledge?

Sledge hockey is a sport that was designed to allow participants who have a physical disability to play the game of ice hockey. Ice sledge hockey (also known as sled hockey in the United States) was invented in the early 1960s in Stockholm at a rehabilitation centre.

Who can play sledge hockey?

The sport caught on — by 1969, Stockholm had a five-team league that included athletes with a disability as well as able-bodied athletes. At the recreational level, anyone can play sledge hockey, disabled and able-bodied.