Despite many years of representing his country, or maybe because of it, Travis Dodson never loses appreciation for the USA emblazoned across his jersey.
The 39-year-old, now one of the longest-tenured members of the U.S. Nationals Sled Hockey Team, is a double amputee who was wounded by a grenade while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq in 2007. Dodson lost his left leg at the hip and right leg below the knee.
The three-time Paralympian is hoping he can continue to compete at the highest level for as long as possible.
“I’d say it’s kind of been an extension from the military, like serving as a Marine in Iraq, and then being able to still represent my country,” Dodson said. “It’s a huge sense of pride, something I don’t take lightly. One day I won’t be able to do this anymore, so it’s really something where I’m trying to stay in the moment and really treasure while I can still do this.”
Dodson, who was a high school golfer in Deming, New Mexico, competed in biathlon at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, which is where sled hockey first caught his attention.
After two seasons with the U.S. Developmental Sled Hockey Team, Dodson won back-to-back Paralympic gold medals in 2018 and 2022.
He also has represented the U.S. at four World Championships, winning gold in 2019, 2021, and 2023, before settling for a silver in 2024.
While many professional sports, including the NHL, feature an increasingly international blend of players, much of the competitive nature of national teams is based on corresponding national pride.
“It’s little different than like in pro sports. Take a pro hockey team,” said Dodson, who now lives in Nashville. “They might have some players that are Russian, some players that are Swedish, Austrian, or whatever on a team. But when you come to the national or international side, you’re all from the same country, working on winning a gold for your country.”
The U.S., which has won four consecutive Paralympic sled hockey gold medals, has defeated Canada in each of the last two finals, including a dramatic 2-1 comeback overtime victory in 2018.
The United States and Canada will renew their rivalry in mid-February at the Reeve Hockey Classic in Saugus, Mass., as part of the 4 Nations Face-Off. The two-game series between the rival nations will feature contests on Feb. 19 and 20, both live streaming on USAHockeyTV.com. For more information on the Reeve Hockey Classic, click here.
“We’re definitely the top two right now in our sport,” Dodson said. “We run into each other all the time, so the rivalry is 100% there. We can be friendly and all that, there is respect. But when we get on the ice, there’s definitely no love lost.”
As with many international sports, Dodson said the talent gap between countries is getting narrower.
“Definitely. China is improving pretty rapidly, and Czechia,” he said. “When it gets down to the semis, anyone can win any given day.”
In the past, Dodson said he could tell that some teams looked defeated before the puck even dropped when they would face the U.S. Now, teams play with much less fear against the Americans.
“They’re willing to come out and really try to hammer us, and they want to be the ones to take us down,” Dodson said. “So, we usually get our best game from every team because they all really are kind of gunning for us.”
As with many veteran athletes, Dodson does his best to offset the advancing calendar, both physical and mentally.
“I’m still fit and as far as skating, I’m still one of the faster guys on the team,” he said. “But it feels more like mental reaction time, as opposed to when I was, like, 30.
“Sometimes I think, ‘Am I getting slower? Or are these young kids getting really, really good?’” Didson said. “They’re getting harder and harder to defend, so maybe it’s a little bit of both.”
The 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championship will take place May 24-31 in Buffalo, New York, about eight months before the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will kick off in Milano and Cortina, Italy.
Dodson is hopeful to compete in his fourth Games, but he realizes it’s the same situation as with any athlete vying for a roster spot.
“That’ll be up to the coaches, but I’ll definitely be trying for one more,” he said.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Source: usahockey.com