NHL-sanctioned professional sled hockey team is coming to Utah

Photo: Sal_Karimzada_Vegas_Knights

PARK CITY, Utah —Park City local Dave Nicholls has started a professional adaptive sled hockey club in record time. He was the goalie for the Vegas Golden Knights sled hockey team for the past five years. They won the National Championships the last two years, their equivalent to the Stanley Cup. After meeting with the Utah Hockey Club, he said: “They have given us the authority to use their logo and name. So for now we will be the Utah Sled Hockey Club.” They are sanctioned by the NHL and USAA to put on a tournament. Park City will host their first tournament.

Utah Sled Hockey Club is on its way

After receiving approval from the Utah Hockey Club, they met with the folks from the Jazz Foundation who handle the philanthropic arm of the Jazz. “They have promised to work with us this season and they promised their support. We are still looking to identify a host sponsor,” explains Dave Nicholls. It takes about $8000 to cover the basic costs of the club. The tournament will be their first fundraiser with tickets ranging from $5 to $40.

First tournament scheduled for Sept. 27 to 29 at the Park City Ice Arena

Eight teams will participate in the Mountain West Sled Hockey tournament, which will also include an All-Star game on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. The two top players from each team will be joined by players from the Utah Grizzlies and divided into two teams for this tournament. The Utah Grizzlies players will also play in sleds. Excitement for this tournament is high. The eight NHL-sanctioned teams will play in two pools. Pool A will include the more advanced teams: the Calgary Flames, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Phoenix Coyotes, and the Utah Hockey Club. Pool B includes the LA Kings, the Albuquerque Blade Runners, the Boise Steelheads and the Seattle Kraken.

Be part of the inaugural tournament

Come support your new Utah Sled Hockey team. All funds from ticket sales go to defray the cost of the tournament and will support the growth and development of the Utah team. Tickets range from $5 to $15 plus processing fee per person per game. For $40 you have the opportunity to meet and have your photo taken with Grizzly and USA Hockey National Sled Champions in addition to attending the Friday night All Star game at 7 p.m.

History of sled hockey

Originally invented in Sweden in the 1960s, it was introduced at the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Games.  The US won its first Paralympic medal in the sport, a gold medal, at the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games. At this point there are 60 NHL sanctioned teams throughout the US within different age groups.

Utah Sled Hockey Club’s goals

During the first season of the Utah Sled Hockey Club, they hope to attend at least two west coast tournaments and at least one to two national tournaments, e.g. the NHL Sled Classic or the USAA Sled Nationals.

Those interested in joining the team can visit UtahSledHockey.com or email UtahSledHockey@gmail.com. Players must be at least 15 years old. If you have a child interested in playing sled hockey, Dave Nicholls is ready to help you get a youth program started. Sled hockey is an adaptation of hockey for people with disabilities. Both men and women can play on the team and up to three able-bodied players can join a team, which is what you will see at the All-Star game. Come support Utah’s newest team!