Sled Hockey Classic Builds Friendships that Last a Lifetime
As Toni Gillen looked around during this past weekend’s 15th Annual USA Hockey Sled Classic, presented by the NHL, she was struck by how much the event looked like a reunion.
“I saw players that I haven’t seen for years get into a sled,” said Gillen, USA Hockey’s sled hockey representative. “We’re a family. People may go away for a while, but they know the door is always open. I saw a lot of people coming back to the sport that haven’t been in it for a while.”
The Sled Classic is an annual round-robin tournament featuring NHL-affiliated adult sled hockey teams. The New York Islanders hosted the four-day 2025 event at Clark Gillies Arena in Dix Hills, New York, and The Rinx in Hauppauge, New York.
The inaugural Sled Classic featured four teams and 46 players. This year’s event drew 27 teams and 350 players from across the U.S. and Canada.
Among them was 32-year-old Danny Santos, who experienced a homecoming of sorts. Santos, who grew up on Long Island, now lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and was skating for the Boston Bruins. His team claimed the Tier 1 championship with a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the final.
Other Sled Classic champions included: Tier 2, Buffalo Sabres; Tier 3, Arizona Coyotes; Tier 4, Minnesota Wild; Tier 5, Dallas Stars; and Tier 6, Edmonton Oilers.
Santos, who has played sled hockey for nearly a quarter-century, participated in his first Sled Classic in 2011, when he was a freshman at the University of New Hampshire.
“It’s always a great opportunity to have a big national tournament like this and to get teams from across the U.S. and Canada,” Santos said. “It’s a great way to kind of get the sled hockey community together. It’s just a blast. It’s a really awesome way to showcase the sport, compete and then bring the community together. It’s just a lot of fun.
“I think for me, personally, growing up on Long Island, it’s been such a cool opportunity to play here.”
As Santos pointed out, playing in Tier 1 at the Sled Classic often affords him the opportunity to skate with and against members of the U.S. National Sled Team. This year, though, the team was in British Columbia for the 2025 Para Hockey Cup, which the Americans won with a 2-0 victory over Canada in the final.
“Playing in that Tier 1 can really be that pinnacle of the sport, outside of the Paralympics,” Santos said. “It’s a great way to have those national team players on the ice and up against each other. It’s a way to see that level of the sport in person and to get to meet those guys. You just build great friendships.”
One highlight of the Sled Classic was the first-ever women’s showcase game, which had two teams playing in two divisions.
U.S. national team captain Erica McKee, who was part of the inaugural women’s world championship squad in August, organized the showcase.
“That event was spectacular,” said Gillen of the women’s showcase. “This was an all-inclusive event. That was probably the greatest part of the weekend, just watching those ladies on the ice. It was competitive. They had so much fun.”
Gillen said that this was one of the best Sled Classics that she’s seen.
“This one was by far superior,” Gillen said. “It was just amazing from start to finish.”
Gillen added that careful advance planning helped establish six competitive tiers divided by ability levels for the event.
“Everybody had their say, which was something new this year,” Gillen said. “I think we saw it in the results. We had a lot of close games. Overall, they were very competitive games.”
Santos, who plays in the Northeast Passage program at the University of North Hampshire, plans to be back for future Sled Classics.
“I’m certainly trying to,” Santos said. “I still absolutely love to play on the ice … it’s really fun to not only play and contribute on the ice but also encourage our other teammates to keep pursuing their goals.
“I just love to be a part of the community still, especially at the Classic. I love this game and hope to be part of it for as long as I can.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
