USA Sled Hockey: One of the greatest dynasties in sports

When you think of the greatest dynasties in sports, you probably think of the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, New York Yankees and Montreal Canadiens. But, there is one team that I firmly believe can contend with these historic giants.

One of the greatest dynasties in all of sports, which more people are starting to notice and talk about, is the United States National Sled Hockey Team.

The Inception of Sled Hockey

Before I get into how Team USA has dominated the sport, we first need to learn where it came from. Sled Hockey (or Sledge Hockey if you’re not from the States, or even para ice hockey if you want to be formal) was created in the 1960s by two men from Sweden who wanted to continue playing hockey.

The earliest sled had a design of a medal frame with the ability to move the puck underneath, much like the modern sleds of today's game.

Even though sled hockey has become one of the most popular sports in the Paralympics, it wasn’t always that way. International competition didn’t start until 1971, and sled hockey wasn’t a Paralympic sport until the 1994 Winter Games, where the games' birthplace brought home a gold medal.

The Creation of a Powerhouse

The United States didn’t have a National Sled Hockey Team until 1990. Just eight years after the genesis of the team, the Americans made their first Paralympic appearance in the 1998 Winter Games, which were held in Nagano, Japan.

That year, Team USA didn’t medal. In fact, Team USA finished sixth out of the seven teams. Nations that finished ahead of them include Japan, Estonia, Sweden, and most notably, Canada.

That was enough to light a fire in the Americans. And just four years later, at the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Americans kept the gold medal on home soil. And the rest is history.

Play Free Bird

As mentioned before, the United States National Sled Hockey Team earned its first gold medal back in 2002. At the next Winter Games, however, a bronze medal finish would be the fuel that would ignite one of the winningest and overall greatest dynasties in sports.

Following the third-place finish in 2006, Team USA would win gold in five of the next five Paralympic Games. The most exciting of these gold medal games came in the 2018 Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

With just seconds left in the gold medal game, Team USA was down 1-0 to the Canadians and had an empty net. Rob Armstrong of Canada had a breakaway to the empty net, and it seemed like it was over.

That was until Armstrong rang what should have been the go-ahead goal off the right post. Then, Team USA flew down the ice, and forward Declan Farmer put it in the back of the net to send the game to overtime.

Then, in overtime, Declan Farmer once again proved why he’s the greatest sled hockey player of all time by scoring the golden goal to beat the Canadians.

The U.S. would go on to dominate the Canadians in the 2022 Paralympic gold medal game and, earlier this month, they did it again to cement their 5th straight gold. That gold medal made the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team the only team to complete a five-peat in hockey in the Paralympics and the Olympics.

On top of all of the Paralympic success, Team USA has also won seven gold medals in the Para Ice Hockey World Championships dating back to 2002.

Great Players Make Great Teams

You can’t talk about USA Sled Hockey without mentioning the name Declan Farmer. The 28-year-old from Tampa, Florida, is a four-time Paralympic Gold Medalist, a five-time World Champion and an ESPY winner.

Throughout his career, Farmer has filled out a laundry list of records. This year, Declan netted the most goals in Paralympic history with 14 and points, 24.

He has the American record for career goals (over 240), assists (190) and points (430). Additionally, at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Farmer broke the Paralympic career points record with 58.

However, it isn’t just Declan and the other forwards making plays; the defensemen are getting in on the action.

The key goal-scoring defenseman for this year’s American was New Jersey native Jack Wallace. Wallace is a three-time Paralympic Gold Medalist and a four-time World Champion.

In this year’s Paralympic Games, Wallace saved his best performance for the gold medal game, where he had a hat-trick, scoring three of Team USA’s six goals.

The Americans have had legends who have built the program. One of these legends is goaltender Steve Cash, widely considered to be the greatest sled hockey goaltender of all time.

During his career, Cash won three Paralympic Gold Medals, one Paralympic Bronze Medal (2006) and five World Championship goal medals. Like Farmer, Cash was awarded the 2010 ESPY for Best Male Athlete with a Disability just four years before Farmer won it.

At the 2010 Paralympic Games, Cash set a Paralympic record for five shutouts and not allowing a single goal throughout the entire tournament. In the words of Randy Moss, “straight cash homie.”

What’s Next?

Just a few weeks ago, Team USA won its fifth consecutive Paralympic gold medal. In a few months, Team USA will be looking to reload its roster through its annual Sled Select camp, where they scout talent from across the country.

From there, the next goal will be to win another World Championship in 2027. If they somehow haven’t done it now, a gold medal there will definitely cement their status as one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports.

Max Malec is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mvm7264@psu.edu.