2021 22  n p t  dixon feature 960

Returning to red and white

Adam Dixon is back after a three-year hiatus from Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, ready for another chance at Paralympic gold

Lee Boyadjian
|
September 8, 2021
|

Adam Dixon thought he had life planned out. The 2018 Paralympic Winter Games would be his last with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team before he would start focusing on his career and life away from the rink. But then something happened he didn’t expect.

Team Canada lost.

“Losing was not in the [plan], but I just had to keep moving on,” Dixon says of his decision to step away from the game after the 2-1 overtime loss to the United States in the gold medal game.

He wasn’t necessarily planning to retire, but after three Paralympics and 194 national team appearances, the Midland, Ont., native was ready for a break.

“Quite honestly, it was a shock to come back [for the 2018-19 season] and we lost probably five or six veteran players who had been around the program for a very long time,” recalls Tyler McGregor, who took over the leadership mantle after PyeongChang and has served as captain the last three years. “To replace that immediately, it was uncomfortable and there were some growing pains.

“I think we showed a lot of resilience to get through that.”

But while the national team was rebuilding, Dixon was building something of his own. A house, which he proudly says was sold over a year ago. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and life ground to a halt, giving Dixon a lot of time to think.

Think about the silver medal and whether he could still help the team to a gold.

“Turns out life is not always in your control and I wasn’t doing what I was planning on doing anyway, so I might as well go back to what I was good at,” Dixon says with a laugh when discussing his decision to return, one he made last year before it was hampered by the ongoing pandemic; the national team was only able to host one camp and compete in one tournament over the last 18 months. But regardless how much Dixon has been around, his decision is one McGregor fully supports.

“There are just so many things he does that go unnoticed,” says the captain. “He’s always been a guy who loves working with younger players…and then you have his skill.

“It’s an immediate impact to our defensive core but also our team in general, [it] just gives us so much more depth, so much more firepower.”

Since Dixon’s first appearance with the national team in 2006, the 32-year-old blue-liner has recorded 85 goals, 141 assists and 226 points, good for fourth all-time in all three categories. But right behind in goals and points is McGregor, a reminder of a three-year gap in Dixon’s para hockey résumé. The veteran knows he has work to do.

“I’m not going to be the person I was and it’s going to take a while to get back to that,” Dixon says, describing his calm presence on the ice and ability to control the pace of play. “I hope I can still do that, like I used to.”

“We’ve practiced together a few times back home and he’s adjusted to the pace a little,” McGregor says. “But it’s a lot different showing up to a national team camp when everybody’s together; the intensity is a lot higher.”

Dixon says he’s ready to match that intensity in any way he can and proved the point after the first day at selection camp during fitness testing. He came off the ice not necessarily physically sore, but hoarse from cheering on and supporting teammates.

“He can be the funniest guy in the room at times and he can also be the calmest,” McGregor says of Dixon’s personality and ability to fit back into the team dynamic. “I think that’s one of the things I’ve respected about him so much throughout my career and knowing him…you need all kinds of personalities to fit together, and I think he fits in really well.”

The defenceman is hoping that fit will stick for the season and into the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing, China, so maybe his plans can finally be fulfilled, and he’ll have a different colour medal to spend time thinking about.

“We’ve got an opportunity to do something pretty special, something this program hasn’t done in a long time, and I’m excited to be a part of that,” Dixon says with a smile.

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

emadziya@hockeycanada.ca 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

ssharkey@hockeycanada.ca

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

jknight@hockeycanada.ca

Recent News
Most Popular
Videos
Photos
HCC: One For All in Yellowknife
One For All celebrated women’s hockey with more than 300 participants.
2024 NWT Rivalry Series: CAN 6 – USA 1 (Game 7)
Spooner and Maltais scored twice to lead Canada to win the series.
2023-24 NWT: CAN 3 – USA 0 (Game 6)
Maschmeyer made 27 saves for the shutout to tie the Rivalry Series.
2023-24 NWT: CAN 4 – USA 2 (Game 5)
Bell, Fast and Stacey scored late to help Canada stay alive.
Schedule