Logan Anketell gets a Glimpse of His Dream at Try Sled Hockey for Free Event

Logan Anketell made a quick jump from a Try Sled Hockey for Free event to contributing on the international level.

The Try Hockey Event was held in conjunction with the inaugural Reeve Hockey Classic, a two-game series between the United States and Canadian National Sled Hockey Teams, in Saugus, Massachusetts, as part of the NHL’s4 Nations Face-Off. 

“My coach had my sled on display because it was like brand new out of the box,” said Anketell, a junior in high school who has been playing sled hockey for eight years. “One of the Canadian players came up and said that he needed one. So, my coach gave him the one that was right there.”

Anketell’s sled also spent time in the penalty box along with Canadian team member Adam Dixon, who later signed a puck for Anketell.

Anketell has hereditary spastic paraplegia, which affects his lower legs, and uses lofstrand crutches and a wheelchair to get around, his mother, Peggy, said.

Anketell, whose ultimate goal is to make the U.S. National Sled HockeyTeam, was among about two dozen attendees at the Try Sled Hockey for Free event, supported by Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers and Northeast Passage Sled Hockey.

The event, aimed at girls and boys ages 4 to 17 of all abilities, was sponsored by the NHL, NHLPA and Boston Bruins.

“It was a great mix of male and female,” said Elizabeth Dahlen of Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers. “The youngest was 4 years old, all the way up to, I think, 16 years old.

“There was a good mix of children with disabilities, as well as able-bodied individuals looking to try out the sport,” Dahlen said. “They were joined on the ice by members of the USA national sled hockey program and the Canadian national sled hockey program.”

Some of the participants were trying sled hockey for the first time, while others already had experience with the sport. 

“It’s a really unique opportunity for them to get to try it, but also to get to share the ice with some of the world’s best players,” Dahlen said. “It also was a fantastic opportunity for some of the NHL staff to be able to hop in a sled and also gain a new perspective of the sport that they work so closely with.”

The following night, participants also were able to attend the first game of the Reeve Classic, which the United States won 4-3 thanks to two goals from Declan Farmer.

“To be able to go to that rink that they were on and watch USA and Canada face off and battle at the absolute highest level,” Dahlen said, “knowing that, ‘You know, hey, I was just skating there yesterday,’ is really powerful and impactful.”

Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers, a part of the Mass General Brigham system, has had a youth sled hockey program since 2018.

Their mission is to grow the game and introduce more players to the sport, said Dahlen, who has a Level 5 USA Hockey coaching certification.

“For us to be able to use this opportunity and the support of USA Hockey and NHL to help grow the game and grow it in the Boston region is just fantastic,” she said. 

Despite being an experienced player, Anketell enjoyed the Try Sled Hockey for Free opportunity.

“My whole team went,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Anketell, who also plays wheelchair tennis, said he hopes to attend the University of Arizona because of its adaptive sports programs.

Beyond that, he also dreams of playing for Team USA in a Winter Paralympics someday, alongside some of the players he got to watch take the ice in Saugus. 

“I’m just trying to figure out how to get there,” Anketell said. 

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

Source: usahockey.com