The U.S. National Sled Team Seeks to Defend its Title at the Para Hockey Cup

The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team is hoping to build off its early season momentum at the Para Hockey Cup.

The Americans captured the IPH Cup in October, but defenseman David Eustace said he and his teammates are still stinging from their runner-up finish to Canada at the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship in May.

The U.S. will have another opportunity to take home a trophy at the 2024 Para Hockey Cup, which takes place Dec. 8-14 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

“Of course, we got silver at worlds and that was obviously not our expected outcome,” Eustace said. “Pretty much for the whole season, all we want to do is take our place back on top. We know Canada, Czechia and China are going to be good, and we’re just looking forward to getting back against them.”

The U.S. is seeking its 11th Para Hockey Cup championship. Last year, the U.S. won its eighth consecutive title at this tournament, as the Americans have won every Para Hockey Cup since 2014.

“This tournament is a lot of fun and when we’re here, we play against the other best teams in the world,” Eustace said. “We just want to prove that every time we step on the ice. We want to show that we’re the best.”

The U.S. previously won three consecutive World Para Ice Hockey Championships, but suffered a 2-1 setback against Canada during May’s gold-medal game. The Americans hadn’t lost a game since October 2021 and had a 23-game winning streak against Canada.

The U.S. gained a measure of revenge in October by going undefeated and claiming its third straight International Para Hockey Cup championship with a 5-3 victory against Canada in Ostrava, Czechia.

That wasn’t enough for Eustace, though.

“It was great to beat Canada, and it was good to go undefeated during those games,” Eustace said. “But if we can’t win in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Throughout the season, all the games are important. We want to prove ourselves and show everybody that we’re still the best.”

Eustace, who grew up in Stoneham, Massachusetts, made his debut with the U.S. sled team during the 2019 Para Hockey Cup. He helped the U.S. win a Paralympic gold medal in 2022 and world titles in 2021 and 2023. Eustace was also part of three Para Hockey Cup championships and two IPH Cup titles.

He feels that the U.S. isn’t at its best when passes are a bit off and the team isn’t executing the defensive gameplan that it wants. Those are things he wants to improve on during this tournament.

“We want to play more cohesive as a team,” Eustace said. “We have to communicate with each other. We want to be a whole team together. Everyone has to do their job to make that happen.”

The journey begins with preliminary-round games on back-to-back days against China and Czechia on Dec. 8-9, followed by a clash with Canada two days later. The semifinals begin Dec. 13, and the championship will take place the following night.

While Eustace is focused on the Para Hockey Cup, he also has his eye on the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championship, which is set for May 24-31 in Buffalo, New York, marking the first time in a decade that the World Championship will take place on U.S. soil.

“All the games we play throughout the season, honestly, nothing matters until the very end,” Eustace said. “The most important thing is to win that gold-medal game. If we can’t win that gold medal, it feels like a failure. In the end, we want to push as hard as we can, and we want to win it all in front of that home crowd.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

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Source: usahockey.com