A host of volunteers from Williamson County and elsewhere in Middle Tennessee will be on hand to support a record 24 NHL-affiliated sled hockey teams that will take part in the seventh annual USA Hockey Sled Classic, presented by the National Hockey League.
Tournament play will begin Thursday, Nov. 17, and culminate with championship games for all five divisions on Sunday, Nov. 20. All games will take place at Ford Ice Center in Antioch. The facility is operated by the Nashville Predators to continue the growth of hockey and skating in Middle Tennessee.
Brentwood High School Senior and Sled Preds assistant coach Will Haberer established a volunteer partnership between the Greater Nashville Area Scholastic Hockey League (GNASH) and the sled community. The GNASH board donated $500 to help stock “swag bags” for players and coaches. More than 75 volunteers from the high school and Junior Predators hockey communities, student members of the National Honor Society from several Williamson County high schools, the Civil Air Patrol, and the sled community will assist in making the tournament a success in a variety of capacities. They will help carry and store player equipment, greet teams at the airport and transport equipment to the rinks, and sell raffle tickets and apparel.
More volunteers are welcome and if you would like to help volunteer, the schedule and sign up can be found here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080b4fafa92ea57-sled.
Each of the 24 competing teams is affiliated with NHL clubs, including the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning. Each team will represent their affiliated NHL club by wearing official NHL licensed jerseys with local club marks and logos.
Among the record 300 competitors slated to participate, 23 are current or former members of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. Of those skaters, 11 helped the United States claim the gold medal at the 2015 International Paralympic Committee Sled Hockey World Championship in Buffalo, New York, and a total of 13 players skated on U.S. squads that claimed gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.
Sled hockey follows most of the typical ice hockey rules with the exception of some of the equipment. Players sit in specially designed sleds that sit on top of two hockey skate blades. There are two sticks for each player instead of one and and the sticks have metal pics on the butt end for players to propel themselves. Goalies wear basically the same equipment but do make modifications to the glove. Metal picks are sewn into the backside to allow the goalie to maneuver.
Everyone is welcome to watch sled hockey at Ford Ice and admission is free and open to the public.
Sled hockey follows most of the typical ice hockey rules with the exception some of the equipment. Players sit in specially designed sleds that sit on top of two hockey skate blades. There are two sticks for each player instead of one and and the sticks have metal picks on the butt end for players to propel themselves. Goalies wear basically the same equipment but do make modifications to the glove. Metal picks are sewn into the backside to allow the goalie to maneuver.
Sled hockey provides opportunity for many types of disabilities and there are opportunities available in local areas for recreation/competition all the way to the National Sled Team that plays in the Paralympics. Sled hockey is rapidly growing in the United States.
