The 2018-19 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team will train next week (Oct. 29-Nov. 3) in Madison, Wis., at Madison Ice Arena. Joining Team USA in Madison will be members of Team Norway as the two teams will conduct practices together each day before culminating in a pair of joint-squad exhibition games Friday (Nov. 2) and Saturday (Nov. 3).
In total, the two teams will host seven practices Monday (Oct. 29) through Friday (Nov. 2). All practices will take place at Madison Ice Arena and are open to the public. For the complete practice schedule, scroll below.
The camp will serve as Team USA's final tuneup for the 2018 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup that will take place Dec. 2-8 in London, Ont. Previously referred to as the World Sled Hockey Challenge, Team USA enters the four-team tournament seeking a fifth-straight title in the event as it will face Korea, Norway and host, Canada. In total, the U.S. has won a tournament-best six titles and holds an overall record of 31-4-1-12 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record in the event all-time.
During its time in Madison, Team USA will attend a banquet on Thursday, Nov. 1, to benefit the Coach Sauer Foundation. Created in honor of Jeff Sauer (Madison, Wis.), former men's ice hockey head coach at the University of Wisconsin, 2014 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and head coach of Team USA from 2011 until his passing in 2017, the Foundation is dedicated to providing more opportunities to play the game of hockey and support programs, both able-bodied and disabled, that emphasize the development of youth hockey players, coaches, and officials.
In his six seasons at the helm of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, Sauer led Team USA to a 48-5-2-11 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record that included reaching the championship game of every major international competition and titles in seven major international events. In total, Sauer guided Team USA to seven international championships, including the 2012 International Paralympic Committee Sled Hockey World Championship in Hamar, Norway; the 2012 World Sled Hockey Challenge in Calgary, Alberta; the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia; the 2015 World Sled Hockey Challenge in Leduc, Alberta; the 2015 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship in Buffalo, New York; the 2016 (Jan.) World Sled Hockey Challenge in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia; and the 2016 (Dec.) World Sled Hockey Challenge in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Team USA Practice Schedule
| Date | Time (CT) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Oct. 29 | 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. | Practice |
| 2:15 - 3:45 p.m. | Practice | |
| Tues., Oct. 30 | 2:15 - 3:45 p.m. | Practice |
| Wed., Oct. 31 | 9:15 - 10:45 a.m. | Practice |
| 3:15 - 4:45 p.m. | Practice | |
| Thurs., Nov. 1 | 2:15 - 3:45 p.m. | Practice |
| Fri., Nov. 2 | 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.l | Pre-Game Skate |
| 7:00 p.m. | Exhibition Game | |
| Sat., Nov. 3 | 4:00 p.m. | Exhibition Game |
NOTES: Labatt USA, Deloitte and Toyota are all sponsors of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team ... Since 2009, the U.S. has played in eight consecutive gold-medal games at the Paralympic and World Championship level, claiming three Paralympic gold medals (2010, 2014, 2018) and three world championship gold medals (2009, 2012, 2015) ... Dan Brennan (Colorado Springs, Colo.), director of sled hockey for USA Hockey, returns as the general manager of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. Additional team staff members include assistant coach Corey Gorder (Bottineau, N.D.), athletic trainer Mike Cortese (Boynton Beach, Fla.), equipment manager Joel Isaacson (Houghton, Mich.), and team physician Mike Uihlein (Grafton, Wis.).
Sled Team News
Expect Declan Farmer to Keep Scoring For Years to Come
- By Dan Scifo 04/10/2024, 5:15pm EDT
GAME DAY | U.S. National Sled Team Set to Face Off vs. Canada in Game Two of 2024 April Sled Series
- By USA Hockey 04/05/2024, 5:30am EDT
Farmer tallies 300th career point as U.S. National Sled Hockey Team Beats Canada 5-1
- By USA Hockey 04/03/2024, 6:30pm EDT