U.S. Sled Hockey Star Kevin McKee Retires After 16 Seasons and Five Paralympic Golds

Last October, Kevin McKee thought his time on the U.S. National Sled Team might be over.

He suffered a broken femur in what he calls a freak accident during a practice in Czechia.

McKee worked extremely hard to return to the ice to play in his fourth Paralympic Winter Games this past March. That work paid off for the 36-year-old, who helped the U.S. win its fifth-straight Paralympic gold medal.

McKee and his best friend and longtime teammate, Josh Pauls, had been talking for a couple years about retiring if they won another Paralympic gold; the first-place finish in Italy cemented McKee’s decision.

“I was going back and forth this summer about maybe giving it a go for another four [years],” McKee said. “But, honestly, it’s kind of like my time’s done, so to speak. I want to move on with life a little bit and see what else is out there.”

His decision to retire became a little more difficult when McKee volunteered at a sled hockey camp early in the summer.

“I love giving back, because I went to those kinds of camps when I was a kid and I met Paralympians and that’s what got me excited about the sport,” McKee said. “Us coaches, the Paralympians that were coaching, we got a little bit of ice time on our own. So, we jumped in and played at that level again with those guys. It was Declan [Farmer] and Brody [Roybal] and Travis [Dodson] was there and Spuds [Pauls] was playing goalie. I thought like, ‘Damn, do I really want to stop?’ I was really having fun again. But then more of the summer went on and the more I thought about it for a long time.”

McKee, who was born with caudal regression syndrome, a rare congenital condition that impairs the development of the lower half of the body, joined the program as a 19-year-old in the 2010-11 season.

Over the next 16 years, McKee racked up great stats. He finished his career with the second-most games played (184) in national team history and is fifth in points (145), goals (61) and assists (84).

McKee takes a lot of pride in being able to play on Team USA for over a decade and a half; he fought through ups and downs his entire career.

“I went from playing a lot when I first made it and then after the first cycle I got a little bit more,” he said. “I was a little more established on the team, probably one of the top guys at that time.”

Ahead of the 2018 Games in PyeongChang, McKee began to adjust his play style from a score-first forward to more of a “grinder” and leader of the team.

“I take pride in that I was able to do that, because I think if I didn’t, they would have probably let me go,” he said. “I did little things and whatever I could on the team to help the guys, because that’s ultimately what matters is the team winning.”

Along with his four Paralympic gold medals, McKee captured six gold and three silver medals while playing in nine World Championships.

Sled hockey has been such a big part of McKee’s life, and he’s going to miss spending time with his teammates.

“It’s the memories off the ice, probably for sure,” he said. “The locker room stuff, the pranks, the jokes, just getting the guys ready, the chants sometimes we do. I’m really going to miss the tradition Spuds [Josh Pauls] got me on with tossing the ball before games and just like talking with him. Talking about the game coming up or just talking about life. I’m going to miss all of that for sure.

“On the hockey side, I’m going to miss competing in practice and [trash]-talking and that kind of stuff.”

McKee, who is married to the U.S. Women’s National Sled Hockey Team captain Erica McKee, resides in Davenport, Iowa. He has been involved in real estate for the last eight years and is looking at possibly opening a gym.

“I’m just trying to find a new career and a new passion and then I don’t know, maybe I’ll find another sport,” he said. “I’ve kind of taken over our adaptive sports program here in the Quad Cities, so I’ve been doing that over the last three years.”

A wheelchair lacrosse team was started two years ago in the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois and has steadily grown in popularity. Playing wheelchair lacrosse reminds McKee of what it was like when he first started sled hockey.

Being on the ice might be in the rearview mirror for McKee, but as a high-level competitor, he’ll never lose his desire to win.

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.