Paralympic Ice Sled Hockey
Ice sled (sledge) hockey was invented at a Stockholm, Sweden
rehabilitation center in the early 1960s by a group of Swedes
who, despite their physical impairment, wanted to continue
playing hockey. The men modified a metal frame sled, or
sledge, with two regular-sized ice hockey skate blades that
allowed the puck to pass underneath. Using round poles
with bike handles for sticks, the men played without any
goaltenders on a lake south of Stockholm.
Sled Hockey Becomes a Paralympic event
Two Swedish national teams played an exhibition match at the
1976 Paralympic Winter Games in Sweden. However, ice sledge
hockey did not become an official event until the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic
Winter Games.
Canada, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, the U.S., Japan and
Estonia have dominated international competitions, but the sport is growing
with club teams now established in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the
Czech Republic, Russia and Korea.
Paralympic Sled Hockey has become a fan favorite ever since it was
introduced as a medal sport in the 1994 Lilihammer Games.
More commonly known as sled hockey in the United States,
the sport has been played in this country since the late 1980s.
Team USA won its first Paralympic medal in the sport – a gold –
during the Salt Lake Games in 2002.
Just as in ice hockey, sledge hockey is played with 6 players
(including a goalie) at a time. Players propel themselves on their
sledge by use of spikes on the ends of two 3-foot-long sticks,
enabling a player to push himself as well as shoot and pass
ambidextrously.
Rinks and goals are regulation Olympic-size, and games consist
of three 15-minute, stop-time periods.
Athletes with the following disabilities compete in Sled Hockey:
amputees, spinal cord injured/wheelchair, cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke.
http://www.usparalympics.org/10_264.htm
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