COLORADO SRINGS, Colo. — The 2018-19 U.S. National Sled Team, which claimed gold at the World Para Ice Hockey Championship and added a fifth-straight title at the Para Hockey Cup, has been named a finalist for the 2019 Team USA Awards, Best of the Year, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of Team USA athletes year-round. Fans are invited to vote at TeamUSA.org/Awards through midnight Monday, Oct. 28.
The award winners will be announced during the 2019 Team USA Awards presented by Dow, Best of the Year, held on Nov. 19 at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. NBC will provide coverage of the awards show from 3-4 p.m. ET on Dec. 22.
In May, the U.S. captured its fourth gold medal at the World Para Ice Hockey Championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win against Canada. Team USA completed the tournament with an undefeated record of 4-1-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L).
After skating to a perfect 4-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record leading up to the championship game, Team USA earned an unprecedented fifth-consecutive title with a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Canada.
The Team USA Awards honor athletes and teams of the year in six categories:
Athletes and teams considered for Best of the Year were finalists for Best of the Month honors, dating back to the fall of 2018 and coinciding with the sport calendar. A USOPC nominating committee then selected the top-five finalists in the individual and team categories to advance to the voting round.
Online fan voting at TeamUSA.org/Awards accounts for 50 percent of the final tally, while members of the Olympic and Paralympic community – including an esteemed panel of Olympic and Paralympic journalists – account for the other 50 percent.
Tag(s): Sled