Sled hockey has been a popular sport at gfthe Winter Paralympic Games since making its debut at the 1994 Lillehammer Games, where Sweden took the first-ever sled hockey Paralympic gold medal by defeating Norway. The United States has been the most successful Paralympic sled hockey team to date with five gold medals and one bronze, winning its first tournament at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

The sport is played by athletes with a physical disability in the lower limbs. Many of the sled hockey rules are similar to that of ice hockey. However, one of the major differences between the two is the equipment. In sled hockey, athletes use sleds with two hockey blades underneath that allow players to get around and carve into the ice. Each player utilizes two sticks, instead of one, to push themselves around the ice and to control the puck. The shortened sticks have a blade on one end for passing and shooting and a pick on the other end for players to propel themselves across the ice.

Similarly to ice hockey, sled hockey is a full contact sport. As a result, athletes wear protective gear like shoulder pads, shin guards, elbow pads, padded gloves and caged helmets.

Sled hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics will take place from Saturday, March 7 to Sunday, March 15, ending with the gold medal game.

All live streams also are available to watch on mobile, tablet and connected TV devices via the Peacock, NBC and NBC Sports apps. Select games also will be shown on CNBC, USA Network, and NBC.

Sled hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympics will be held at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena.

There only will be a men’s tournament for sled hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympics. 

The International Paralympic Committee deemed the sport co-ed ahead of the 2010 Games, allowing teams an extra roster spot if that additional player was a woman. Only three women ever have played sled hockey on the Paralympic level: Norwegians Britt Mjaasund Oyen (1994) and Lena Schroeder (2018), and China's Yu Jing (2022).

The sled hockey competition at the 2026 Paralympics will feature eight teams split into two groups of four. Each team plays three games within their group, facing each opponent once. The top-two teams in each group at the end of the group stage advance to the semifinals, while the third- and fourth-place teams move on to classification finals for ranking purposes.

Sled hockey games consist of three 15-minute periods with 15-minute intermissions in between. Each team has six players on the ice at one time, including the goaltender.

The United States leads the world in Paralympic golds (5) and is tied with Canada for the most total medals (6). The American squad heading to Milan — chock-full of veteran poise, explosive offensive talent, and a proven ability to reach the podium — enters the 2026 Games eyeing an unprecedented fifth-straight Paralympic crown.

Thirteen of the 17 U.S. players named to the 2026 roster have competed in at least one Paralympic Games. Six have made three or more Paralympic appearances: Josh Pauls, Brody Roybal, Travis Dodson, Declan Farmer, Jen Lee, and Kevin McKee. 

In his 17th season with the U.S. sled hockey team, the 33-year-old Pauls is competing at his fifth Paralympic Games. He owns four Paralympic golds, the most of any player in the history of the sport, and stands as the all-time U.S. leader in career Paralympic appearances with 19 games under his belt. Pauls was chosen as one of two U.S. flagbearers for the 2026 Opening Ceremony.

Farmer, 28, contributed to 21 of the United States' 41 goals at the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships, leading the team both in goals (11) and assists (10) across five games en route to gold. Jack Wallace, who will make his third Paralympic appearance in Milan, followed closely behind with 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists). Roybal also recorded 10 assists throughout the tournament.

Goalie Lee has backstopped the United States to three Paralympic golds (2014, 2018, 2022) and five world titles (2012, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025). At the 2022 Beijing Games, Lee did not allow a single goal through his 165 minutes of play. He and Griffin LaMarre, who also competed in Beijing, will split time in net in Milan.

Twenty-three year old Malik Jones returns to the Paralympic stage for the second time in Milan, four years after becoming just the second-ever Black athlete to represent the United States in sled hockey at the Paralympics.