2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team
The 2002 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team made history as the first American team to win gold in the Paralympic Games. Their remarkable journey and triumph in Salt Lake City, Utah, defied all odds and set the stage for the dominant success Team USA has had since, including gold medals in the last four Paralympic Winter Games (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).
When sled hockey made its Paralympic debut in 1994, Team USA was not one of the five countries to compete. Four years later in Nagano, Japan, the U.S. finished sixth of seven teams. Heading into Salt Lake City 2002, the U.S. had finished dead last at the previous world championship and only qualified for the Paralympics because it was the host country.
Under first-year head coach Rick Middleton (Hampton, N.H.), who redefined the team’s style of play and culture, Team USA went unbeaten in the Paralympics and outscored opponents 26-6. Ten newcomers were among the 15-player roster that shocked the world by finishing on top of the podium.
Shutting out Japan 3-0, a decisive 5-1 victory over rival and gold-medal favorite Canada, and a 2-1 triumph over defending Paralympic champion Norway gave the U.S. a burst of confidence as it navigated uncharted territory in its first three round-robin games. The U.S. followed with a 6-0 win over Sweden and a 6-1 decision against Estonia to earn a spot in the gold-medal game against Norway.
The rematch against Norway was a back-and-forth affair throughout. Trailing for the first time in the tournament, the U.S. stormed back to take the lead with captain Joe Howard (Brockton, Mass.) scoring twice in 67 seconds late in the first period. The U.S. built a 3-1 advantage just :12 into the middle frame thanks to a goal by Matt Coppens (Richton Park, Ill.), but Norway eventually evened the score, and overtime wasn’t enough to settle the contest. In front of an overflow crowd of more than 8,300 at the E Center, Team USA and Norway went to a shootout tied, 3-3.
Each team scored twice over the first three rounds of the five-round shootout, with Howard and defenseman Chris Manns (Buffalo, N.Y) tallying for the U.S. Kip St. Germaine (East Falmouth, Mass) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the fourth round as the United States completed an unthinkable journey to gold on home soil. Manny Guerra (Plymouth, Minn.) earned the win in goal for the U.S. with 12 saves.
U.S. defenseman Sylvester Flis (Franklin Park, Ill.) was named the Paralympic MVP and led the tournament with 18 points. His 11 goals and 18 points both established U.S. and Paralympic single-tournament marks that continue to stand today.