Declan Farmer is one of the most decorated players to ever suit up for the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team.

Recently, the forward added another accomplishment to his already illustrious career.

During the opening game of the 2024 April Sled Series against Canada, Farmer became the first American sled hockey player to reach 300 career points.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Farmer said. “It snuck up on me, for sure. I wasn’t expecting it. It says a lot about how successful our team is. No one is scoring 300 points without a good team and good coaching around them. It’s definitely a shared milestone with the core players on the national team.”

Farmer had 296 points heading into the opening game of the 2024 April Sled Series. He tallied two goals and two assists to help the U.S. beat Canada 5-1. 

Farmer assisted on the second goal of the game at 13:35 of the first period. The U.S. then carried a 2-0 advantage through two periods. Farmer established his record during a third-period surge, as the U.S. scored three times in 24 seconds. Farmer assisted on Noah Grove’s goal and scored twice in 11 seconds to set the mark. 

“We kind of went on a streak at the end of the game,” Farmer said. “I just kind of got it all in the span of about 20 seconds and almost wasn’t expecting it to happen that way.”

Farmer learned of his milestone in the locker room at the end of the game, as he was presented a puck wrapped in white tape with the achievement written on the side.

Farmer scored again in a 4-1 win over Canada on April 5, bringing his career totals to 170 goals, 131 assists and 301 points, which are all the most in the history of the team. He also ranks among the top-five in games played. 

Farmer is currently in his 13th year on the U.S. team, as the Tampa, Florida, first made the squad as a 14-year-old in 2012.

“There are a lot of guys and great players who were generations before me,” he said. “There are a lot of different guys who put up a lot of points and were the top offensive guys on their generation of teams. It’s pretty special to be on a team that’s successful enough to allow us to push out these accomplishments and be the core of one of the best sled hockey teams ever. We’ve been turning out milestones left and right.”

Farmer is a three-time Paralympic gold medalist and four-time world champion. He also earned an ESPY award from ESPN as the Best Male Athlete with a Disability in 2014.

Despite a long list of accomplishments already, the 26-year-old feels like his career is far from finished.

“You can have a pretty long career in this if you stay healthy,” he said. “I’m doing my best to accomplish that. I love playing and it’s not a matter of trying to hit certain milestones or points. I just love what I’m doing, and I love being part of this team. I can’t imagine hanging it up any time soon. I would like to play into my 40s, but who knows what the future holds.”

The Sled Series between the U.S. and Canada is a near-annual competition between the North American rivals. The U.S. swept the March Sled Series, taking all three games by a combined 15-3 margin. 

While the Americans finished off the two-game sweep in April, Farmer and the rest of the group weren’t completely satisfied with their effort.

“We weren’t the sharpest, playing in our own zone, transitioning and everything,” Farmer said. “It wasn’t our best games as a team, and we probably let up a lot more high-quality chances than we would’ve liked.”

The U.S. will hold a training camp in Madison, Wisconsin, at the end of the month to prepare for the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship, which will take place May 4-12 in Calgary, Alberta. The U.S. won its third straight and sixth overall world championship gold medal last year.

With a little less than a month off before the team travels to Canada, Farmer is looking forward to resting as he prepares to battle for a fourth straight world title. 

“It’s about recharging a bit, getting our minds right and getting focused and ready to play the way we know how to play,” he said.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.