The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team hit the ice for its first practice here at the Gangneung Hockey Center. The venue, which is just shy of an hour-long bus ride from the PyeongChang Paralympic Village, was the site of the 2018 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team’s gold-medal 3-2 shootout victory over rival Canada on Feb. 22. 

RETURN TO KOREA
The 2018 Paralympic Winter Games marks the third time a major international sled hockey event is taking place in Korea. Just last April, 14 members of Team USA were here for the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship that saw the U.S. claim six-straight wins before falling to rival Canada, 4-1, in the gold-medal game. Prior to that, nine U.S. players were on the U.S. squad that helped the U.s. to a silver medal effort at the 2013 International Paralympic Committee Sled Hockey World Championship in Goyang, South Korea.

GET TO KNOW: EMPIRE STATE'S McDERMOTT & PAGE
The 2018 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team has two players from New York State, including three-time Paralympian Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.) and first-time Paralympian Luke McDermott (Westerlo, N.Y.). While Page has been a member of Team USA since the 2007-08 season, McDermott first made his debut in the 2014-15 season. Together, the two have helped Team USA to a world championship gold medal (2015), four World Sled Hockey Challenge titles (2015, 2016 - Jan., 2016 - Dec., 2017), the 2016 IPC Pan-Pacific Championship and the 2018 Turin Para Ice Hockey International Tournament. To see each day's 'Get To Know', click here.