MILAN, Italy — The U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team is set to face the host nation Italy today (March 7) at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in their initial preliminary-round game of the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The puck is scheduled to drop at 5:05 p.m. local time/11:05 a.m. ET, with the match being aired on CNBC and available for live streaming on Peacock.
The U.S. enters the Paralympics as the reigning gold medalists for four consecutive tournaments, aiming for an unprecedented fifth straight title and their sixth overall Paralympic gold.
At the forefront for Team USA is captain Josh Pauls (Green Brook, N.J.), recognized as the most decorated Paralympian in sled hockey history, boasting four gold medals. Travis Dodson (Deming, N.M.), a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, serves as alternate captain, alongside three-time gold medalist Declan Farmer (Tampa, Fla.), who holds the U.S. Paralympic records for goals (21), assists (19), and points (40). The complete U.S. roster can be found here.
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Team USA arrived in Milan on February 28 and has conducted five practice sessions leading up to tonight’s game.
The U.S. and Italy have met twice in Paralympic history, with the U.S. maintaining a 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record in those encounters, most recently achieving a 10-1 win in the semifinals of the 2018 Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Historically, the U.S. boasts a 14-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record against Italy across all competitions. Earlier this season, the U.S. secured a 9-1 victory over Italy in their only matchup at the IPH Cup in Ostrava, Czechia, in October.
The tournament features eight teams, with the U.S., Italy, China, and Germany in Group A, while Canada, Czechia, Japan, and Slovakia compete in Group B. The preliminary round will follow a round-robin format within each group, with the top two teams from Groups A and B advancing to the semifinals on Friday, March 13, followed by the medal round on Sunday, March 15.
Team USA will participate in two additional preliminary-round matches, with a game against Germany scheduled for Monday (March 9) at 12:05 p.m. ET, followed by a contest against China the next day (March 10) at 8:35 a.m. ET. Both matches will be broadcast on USA Network and will be available for live streaming on Peacock. The complete U.S. schedule can be found here.
In Paralympic history, Team USA holds a record of 26-2-0-6-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T), with five gold medals (2022, 2018, 2014, 2010, 2002) and one bronze medal (2006).
