skip navigation

Eighth Annual USA Hockey Sled Classic, Presented by NHL, Begins Thursday in Plymouth, Minnesota

By USA Hockey, 11/13/17, 2:30PM MST

Share

Minnesota Wild to host record 28-NHL associated teams

The eighth annual USA Hockey Sled Classic, presented by the NHL, will take place Thursday through Sunday (Nov. 16-29) in Plymouth, Minnesota, at the Plymouth Ice Center. 

Tournament play will include 10 games on Thursday, 23 contests on Friday, 20 games on Saturday and 10 games - including the five championship games - on Sunday.Fans can attend all games free of charge. In addition, Hockey.TV will stream all games live at USAHockey.HockeyTV.com.

A record 28-team field will feature 300-plus athletes, including 15 current members of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team.  Of those skaters, 13 helped the United States claim the silver medal at the 2017 Para Sled Hockey World Championship in Gangneung, South Korea, and a total of 10 players skated on the U.S. squad that claimed the gold medal at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. 

The 28 competing teams represent a record 20 NHL member clubs, including the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning and Winnipeg Jets. Each team will represent their associated NHL club by wearing official NHL licensed jerseys with local club marks and logos. 

The event is part of the seventh annual Come Play Hockey Month and the Hockey is for Everyone program, two joint efforts of USA Hockey and the NHL. As a symbol of the NHL's commitment to the sled hockey community, the Tier I champion will be awarded the O'Connor Courage Trophy. 

For full tournament results, statistics and game recaps, click  here.


NOTES: Use the hashtag #SledClassic to join the tournament conversation on social media ... Through the Hockey is for Everyone initiative, the NHL supports non-profit hockey organizations across North America that are committed to offering underprivileged, marginalized and disadvantaged people an opportunity to play hockey, leveraging the sport to build character, foster positive values and develop important life skills. To join the conversation on social media, use the hashtag #HockeyIsForEveryone and for more information on the initiative, click here ... Six NHL clubs – the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins – have two associated teams in this year's USA Hockey Sled Classic while the Colorado Avalanche will have three teams ... Last year, the Nashville Predators held the tournament in Antioch, Tenn., where the Colorado Avalanche captured the Tier I Division, the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed the Tier II crown, the Nashville Predators won the Tier III Division, the Colorado Avalance captured the Tier IV division and the Carolina Hurricanes took the Tier V title ... Previous NHL teams to host the event include the Colorado Avalanche (2010; Denver, Colo.); Philadelphia Flyers (2011; Voorhees, N.J.); Buffalo Sabres (2012; Williamsville, N.Y.); Pittsburgh Penguins (2013; Pittsburgh, Pa.); Washington Capitals (2014; Arlington, Va.); and the Florida Panthers (2015; Sunrise, Fla.) ... For more information on the sport of sled hockey, click here.

Sled Hockey News

Team USA forward Malik Jones looks out on the ice.
Declan Farmer shoots the puck on net

Popular USA Hockey Articles

The Over-80 USA Hockey Team, comprised of players from eight different states (New Hampshire, Minnesota, Alaska, Massachusetts, Colorado, Illinois, Florida and California), came together in the Fall of 2023 to compete in the Canada 150 Cup tournament in B