Sled hockey players face off in Park City’s inaugural international tournament

Park City Ica Arena's Sled Hockey Tournament with athletes from accross the US and Canada. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — The inaugural international Utah sled hockey tournament was hosted Sept. 27-29 at the Park City Ice Arena where players from the Utah Sled Hockey Association and the Utah Amateur Hockey Association were joined by athletes with disabilities from six other states and Canada.

The following video shows organizer and Team Captain Dave Nicolls addressing the crowd, thanking supporters, the singing of the National Anthem, and the action starting as the puck drops to the first whistle in the All Star Game on Friday night.

Six able-bodied members of the Utah Grizzlies gladly showed their support for this tournament and the growing sled hockey movement by sitting down on sleds and playing in the All Star Games alongside athletes with disabilities.

Teams traveling to Park City to participate in the tournament included:

• Seattle Kraken
• New Mexico Blade Runners
• Boise Sled Hockey
• L.A. Kings
• Phoenix Coyotes
• Vegas Golden Knights
• Calgary Flames

Matt Genther has been the Program Supervisor at the venue for a decade. He told TownLift, “It’s been great working with this Utah sled hockey organization to put on this first tournament and we hope it’s not the last.”

Located adjacent to the National Ability Center, many athletes took advantage of the convenience of, and the hospitality from, its fully accessible on-site ADA hotel.