COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today the roster for the 2017-18 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. The group includes 13 returnees from the 2016-17 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team that claimed the 2016 (Dec.) World Sled Hockey Challenge title in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and a silver medal at the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship in Gangneung, South Korea.
“We fell short of our goal last season, and with this being a Paralympic year, there was a hunger and drive at tryouts this past weekend that we, as a staff, were extremely pleased to see,” said Dan Brennan, director of sled hockey for USA Hockey and general manager of the 2017-18 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. “This was the most competitive tryout in program history and we’re excited to get this season underway and continue evaluating players for spots on this year’s Paralympic team.”
Goaltender Steve Cash (Overland, Mo.), who has backstopped the U.S. to two Paralympic gold medals (2010, 2014) and three Para Sled Hockey World Championship gold medals (2009, 2012, 2015), is returning for his 13th season. Last year, he registered an 8-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record in helping Team USA to a silver medal at the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship in Gangneung, South Korea.
On defense, Team USA welcomes back Tyler Carron (Fort Collins, Colo.), Nikko Landeros (Johnstown, Colo.) and Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.), who all helped Team USA claim gold medals at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, 2015 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship and 2016 IPC Pan-Pacific Championship. Landeros and Pauls also helped the U.S. win gold at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
Nine forwards return from the 2016-17 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, including a pair of players who established new U.S. world championship records. Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.), named to his fifth national team, set U.S. single-tournament world championship records for most goals (12) and points (18) and also holds U.S. career-tournament world championship records in goals (22) and points (33). Kevin McKee (Chicago, Ill.) set new U.S. single- and career-tournament championship records in assists with nine (single tournament) and 15 (career tournament). Joining Farmer and McKee from last season are fellow returnees Noah Grove (Frederick, Md.), Luke McDermott (Westerlo, N.Y.), Adam Page (Lancaster, N.Y.), Rico Roman (Portland, Ore.), Brody Roybal (Northlake, Ill.), Paul Schaus (Buffalo, N.Y) and Jack Wallace (Franklin Lakes, N.J.). Roman and Schaus were members of the gold medal-winning 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team while Page skated on both the 2010 and 2014 gold medal-winning U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Teams.
Also part of the 2017-18 roster are goaltender Jen Lee (San Francisco, Calif.) and forward Josh Misiewicz (La Grange, Ill.). Lee, who was a member of the gold medal-winning 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, previously skated four seasons with Team USA from 2011-14, while Misiewicz returns for a third campaign with Team USA after helping the U.S. claim a gold medal at the 2015 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship in Buffalo, New York, and the 2016 IPC Pan-Pacific Championship in Buffalo, New York.
Joining Misiewicz and Lee as newcomers for the upcoming season are defenseman Ralph DeQuebec (San Pedro, Calif.) and forward Travis Dodson (Deming, N.M.), both who skated this past season with the U.S. Development Sled Hockey Team.
For the complete U.S. National Sled Hockey Team roster, click here.
NOTES: Labatt USA is a proud sponsor of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team … Guy Gosselin(Grafton, Wis.), who led Team USA to a silver medal at the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship in Gangneung, South Korea, will serve as head coach of the 2017-18 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team and 2018 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. This is Gosselin’s third stint with the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team after helping the U.S. claim gold medals at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2012 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship in Hamar, Norway, in addition to a silver medal at the 2013 IPC Sled Hockey World Championship in Goyang City, South Korea. Joining Gosselin behind the bench is assistant coach David Hoff (Bottineau, N.D.) while additional staff members include team physician Mike Uihlein (Grafton, Wis.), athletic trainer Mike Cortese (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and equipment manager Joel Isaacson (Houghton, Mich.) … The 2018 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team will be announced later this year.
