Canada chasing gold at para hockey worlds
It's seven years and counting since Canadians claimed world beater status in the sport of sledge hockey.
Their aim is to change that during the next eight days with the help of home ice at Calgary's Winsport Arena.
“We have to play our absolute best every day,” said Canadian head coach Russ Herrington, on the eve of the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in the city. “We're gonna get an A game from anybody we play. So we have to find ways to have depth in our scoring and get good goaltending. And legitimately, we need to stay healthy, which has been a bit of an issue for us in the last three or four months.
“The biggest stumbling block are the Americans. They are the best team in the world.”
Canada will be joined by Czechia, Italy and Japan in Group B.
The Americans headline Group A, joining China, Korea and Slovakia.
Canada opens its preliminary round schedule Saturday against Japan (5 p.m.). The host country faces Italy on Sunday (5 p.m.), before closing out prelim action against Czechia on Tuesday (5 p.m.).
“We've won a bunch of silver medals,” Herrington said. “So we feel like we are legitimately the second best team in the world.”
The Canadian roster features 12 players who won a silver medal at the 2023 world championship, including Calgary's own Auren Halbert.
“It'll be great to be able to play in front of friends and family that have never been able to see me play live before,” said Halbert, a 21-year-old defenceman.
They owned home ice advantage last year at the worlds in Moose Jaw, Sask.
But it wasn't enough, as they were forced to settle for their third silver medal in five years. It was the Americans again coming away with gold.
And Halbert and the Canucks would love another shot at them in the May 12 final (5:30 p.m.).
“We just have to string together three of the best periods we've ever played,” Halbert said. “I think we're trending in that direction.”
Canada has captured four gold medals at the World Para Hockey Championship (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017), in addition to four silver (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) and three bronze (1996, 2009, 2012).
So it's been a while since they've claimed the championship.
“We need to bring our A game,” Herrington said.
“We feel like we're a team that has to be strong defensively — our offence is going to start from our defensive structure. And then when we have the opportunity we want to use our speed and our physicality to impose our will on our forecheck.”
The journey to the world championship began last September in Calgary, where 30 players were invited to evaluation camp.
The competition schedule included the IPH Cup in Ostrava, Czechia, the Para Hockey Cup in Quispamsis, N.B., and two series against the United States in Minot, N.D., and Calgary.
So they've come full circle back in hopes of using Winsport's familiar surroundings to fulfil their gold-medal dreams.
“I hope so,” added Herrington. “… We had such a great environment and an experience of Moose Jaw (last year). We're hoping that we have the same here in Alberta to expose the best sledge hockey in the world to a new province. So it's really exciting.”