Josh Pauls is Excited for His Younger Teammates to Experience Home Ice at the World Championship
For the first time in a decade, the World Para Ice Hockey Championship will take place in the U.S. when the event comes to LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York, May 24-31.
Current U.S. captain Josh Pauls was a young player when the world championship took place 10 years ago at that same venue. The now 32-year-old defenseman from Green Brook, New Jersey, remembers it vividly.
“It’s very positive memories, and Buffalo treated us great,” Pauls said. “It was a pretty brand-new facility. We haven’t really been back a ton, so I’m really excited to get back there. It’s one of the best setups, I think, for sled hockey.”
In 2015, the U.S. skated to the gold medal as Pauls led the American blueline unit in scoring and earned the Directorate Award for Best Defenseman.
“I remember just how dominant we were,” Pauls said of the U.S. team that beat its opponents by a combined score of 29-1. “After coming out of a 1-0 victory [in the gold-medal game] in Sochi in the Paralympics in 2014, that was kind of our next big event. That whole season, I thought we were so … dominant.”
Only six current players remain from that team: Pauls, Chris Douglas, Declan Farmer, Kevin McKee, Josh Misiewicz and Brody Royal.
“The team’s changed, but that shows where the sport’s gone,” Pauls said. “Guys don’t just stick around, and having 20-year national team careers isn’t necessarily the norm.”
Pauls, on the other hand, is an exception. The four-time Paralympic gold medalist and six-time world champion has been around since the 2009-10 season.
“I’m like a bad body odor,” he joked. “You just can’t get rid of me.”
The U.S. has won a total of six gold medals, four silver medals and one bronze medal at the World Championship. The Americans claimed a silver medal last year, falling 2-1 to Canada in the final in Calgary, Alberta. Pauls hopes to avenge that loss on home ice.
“Many of our guys haven’t really even played many games on home ice, so that’s really exciting,” Pauls said. “It’s right over the border with Canada. Us and Canada always have some great tilts. Hopefully, we end up meeting in the tournament. Just getting a great number of fans is going to be really exciting.”
Pauls said he’s been impressed with how the U.S. team has bounced back this season after the loss in last year’s gold-medal game. In December, he scored a pair of goals in a 4-1 victory over Canada in the 2024 Para Hockey Cup championship game, the ninth straight Cup title for the Americans.
At the more recent Reeve Hockey Classic in Saugus, Massachusetts — which took place during the 4 Nations Face-Off — the Americans swept a pair of games against Canada.
“I love this year’s team,” Pauls said. “I think we’ve had a really good run so far, won a bunch of games. Last year, we were kind of on the same trajectory and lost the final one in Calgary.
“For me, it’s about helping [our players] understand failure isn’t the end all be all. I’m really excited on how we’ve responded. I think we’ve come out strong this season, and I love the progress of our young guys.”
Pauls, who pointed to the emergence of young players such as Malik Jones and Evan Nichols, said that he feels no additional pressure seeking another world title on home ice.
“I’d love to get another one, but there’s no pressure from me,” he said. “The pressure … is to make sure that our guys are performing as best as they can in the moment. I think it’s more excitement than worry. I have confidence in the team and our preparation.”
Pauls, now in his eighth season as team captain, said his leadership style has evolved over the years.
He does less now than when he first became captain, saying his main role now is empowering his teammates to play at their best each game. He hopes he’s done enough as a leader to make sure the team is set up for success once he’s done playing.
Pauls noted that he will stay until he’s no longer relevant on this team. He admits that competing at this level can be a grind at times.
“But I’ve learned to really rely on my teammates when I’m feeling that,” Pauls said. “The guys deserve the best Josh Pauls that I can give them. To give them anything less would be a disservice to them.
“I feel like a Toyota Tacoma with 200,000 miles on it. I can still go, but man, it just takes a little extra lube and a little extra care.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Tickets to the 2025 Para Ice Hockey World Championships can be purchased here
Source: usahockey.com