Canada clinched a silver medal following a 2-0 defeat to the United States in the Para Hockey Cup final held on Saturday evening in Dawson Creek, B.C. Brett Bolton scored in the initial period, and Brody Roybal sealed the win with an empty-net goal for the current world and Olympic Para hockey titleholders. Jen Lee recorded 10 saves for the shutout, while Corbin Watson made 16 saves for Canada.
Expressing satisfaction with their overall performance in the tournament, Canadian forward Adam Dixon mentioned, “We are pleased with our progress as a team throughout the competition, and we are instilling a sense of confidence.”
The U.S. claimed their unprecedented 10th consecutive Para Cup title, adding to their record of 12 titles in total. They finished the event with a flawless 5-0-0-0 record, marking their seventh successive undefeated run at the Para Hockey Cup.
U.S. head coach David Hoff commended his team’s final effort, stating, “I was impressed with our defensive play, Jen’s standout performance, and the collective team effort. It was a strong finish to the tournament.”
Canada, on the other hand, extended their streak of losses in Para Hockey Cup finals to nine since 2016. Despite this, the Canadian team has secured five gold medals in the competition, with their most recent victory in 2013.
Canada’s record in the four-team tournament stood at 3-0-2-0, with both defeats coming at the hands of the U.S. during the preliminary stage. Despite having opportunities to score in the final, including two power plays in the second period, Canada failed to convert, finishing 0-for-3. The U.S. also went 0-for-2 on power plays.
Looking ahead to the Paralympics, Canada captain Tyler McGregor emphasized the importance of consistency and execution in crucial moments, stating, “We aim to be well-prepared for the Paralympics and strive to represent Canada to the best of our abilities in Milan come March.”
Preparations for the Paralympics will see Canada’s National Para Hockey team conducting training camps in Calgary from Jan. 8 to 20 and in Oakville, Ont., from Feb. 9 to 19.
The Paralympic schedule will see Canada face Slovakia on March 7, followed by matches against Germany and Czech Republic in the preliminary round, leading up to the medal games on March 15. Head coach Boris Rybalka expressed pride in the team’s progress and emphasized the importance of upcoming practice sessions as they focus on Milan.
In an earlier match on Saturday, China secured their second consecutive bronze medal at the Para Cup by defeating the Czech team 4-2, with goals from Dianpeng Qiu, Xiaodong Song, Zhidong Wang, and Jintao Tian, while Wei Wang made seven saves.
