Para Ice Hockey Championship to be held in Moose Jaw
The 2023 World Para Ice Hockey Championships are coming to Moose Jaw, marking the first time a para hockey championship will be played in Canada since 2010.
“It was a few months ago that the recommendation came to us from administration. We had a meeting obviously, discussed it, debated it, voted on it, and decided this was something that we wanted to allow the Event Centre to go for,” said Heather Eby, Moose Jaw councillor.
“We were thrilled,” exclaimed Team Canada captain, Tyler McGregor, on the moment the team found out Moose Jaw won the bid to host the championships. “This has been a long time coming. We’ve obviously never hosted a world championships or an event of this magnitude. It’s been so long since our family and friends and people in Canada have been able to watch our sport live.”
Moose Jaw will host the championship event from May 28 to June 4 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
“We can’t wait to bring the world here to show the world what Saskatchewan is all about. To see how amazing the events they put on are and hopefully have the opportunity to win a gold medal,” he added.
McGregor is a three time Paralympic medalist and six time World Para medalist.
“There’s nothing like comparable to having the opportunity to do that [win gold] on home ice. It’s something we certainly don’t get a lot. So we are over the moon excited,” said McGregor.
The last time Canada won gold was at the 2017 World Para Hockey Championships. The team took home silver at the last two events in 2019, and 2022.
- Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts from Regina sent to your device
Group A will consist of Team Canada, Czechia, Korea, and the United States, with the top two teams heading to the semifinals.
China, Germany, Italy, and Norway will play in Group B.
While the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games was the last time a para hockey event was held in Canada, this will be the first world championship for Canada’s Para Hockey Team as the host team.
“Just the fans! I don’t know if there’s any more passionate hockey fans in Canada. So I’m really excited about that, the Event Centre here is beautiful. It’s incredible that it’s going to be fully accessible,” McGregor explained, on what he is most excited for.
“The passionate fans, you know, hopefully they can have some raucous crowds and make it difficult on our opponents.”
“It’s huge and because our buildings now getting the opportunity to be retrofitted for the sport, this won’t be the last time [we can host an event like this],” Eby said.
“Our organization is committed to continuing to grow the para game, and hosting this prestigious event in Canada for the first time is a significant milestone,” said Ryan Robins, director of events and properties with Hockey Canada.
After the announcement on Monday, McGregor took the ice at the Event Centre with members of the Moose Jaw Warriors and players from Hockey Saskatchewan’s Para teams.
Some of the Warriors had the opportunity to try the sport for the first time.
“It wasn’t easy, I can tell you that. Just getting up and down the ice is hard enough but then trying to learn how to turn or even stop is another thing. Tyler’s here and he was nice enough to give us a couple of tips,” laughed Gord Burnett, Warriors Assistant Coach.
As for what the championships will bring to the city, Burnett is seeing only positives.
“I think it’ll mean a lot economically, you’ll bring some people into town. But I think the community as a whole supports hockey and is just a very proud hockey community," he said.
“Tyler said all of the players from the Canadian team, all of their families and friends are coming. So that alone right there boosts the economic activity for the week,” Eby said.
Tickets for the event will go on sale to the public on March 29 here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.