Jessica Kerr was more than a little overwhelmed when prosthetist Amy Richardson walked into the patient room at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitiation Hospital. Her 13-month-old son, Maddux, had just tried on his new legs for the first time and Jessica was still coming to terms with the changes to her family.

Richardson said someone wanted to meet Maddux, because his new prosthetic legs reminded the stranger of his own. Greg Westlake walked in, sat down and talked to Jessica, Maddux and the whole Kerr family.

Six years later, they’re still talking.

“It totally changed our lives that day,” Jessica says of the chance encounter with the National Para Hockey Team veteran. “It was, to that point, the most emotional moment we’ve had with Maddux because we were thinking, ‘What can he do now?’”

But Westlake gave them the answer they needed to hear: everything, Maddux can do everything. And from that point on, Westlake had a lifelong fan.

Maddux was born with fibular hemimelia and required a double-leg amputation when he was 11 months old.

“I don’t have all the answers for all the disabilities out there, but I can sure talk to the leg amputees; that’s something I know a lot about,” Westlake says with a smile. It’s something his family knows a lot about, too.

After the initial meeting with the Kerr family, Westlake introduced Jessica to his own mother, Deb, and the two became fast friends. Jessica still uses Deb as a resource to navigate new milestones in Maddux’s life.

“I remember when Maddux was first going to school and I was like, ‘Ok, you need to tell me everything I need to tell [the school] or ask them for when he goes to school,’” Jessica says. “It’s just been so amazing to have that connection with [the Westlake family].”

With three Paralympic medals and eight world championship medals, Westlake is a recognizable role model for young para-athletes. But he considers his advocacy work in more general terms, just trying to ensure those with disabilities are given the same opportunities their able-bodied peers are.

“I think it’s important for [para-athletes] to be out in the community and that goes all the way back to the ‘If you see it, you can be it’ mentality,” Westlake says. “I remember being a little kid myself and from the time I was three I learned to skate on two artificial legs, and I’ve always loved the game.

“But I never saw anybody on TV who looked like me.”

While Westlake works to increase that exposure for his sport and the general needs for people with disabilities, his regular presence with the Kerr family remains integral to Maddux’s understanding of his own life. Especially when he starts asking Jessica some really hard questions.

“Maddux has said different times, ‘When do I get my real legs like you?’ and we can say, ‘Look at Greg, does he have legs like ours?’” Jessica explains. “So that’s what your legs will be like, buddy, and look at everything Greg can do.”

It’s a message Maddux has taken to heart and also to his leg. His current prosthetics feature a photo of Maddux with his hero.

“Greg is my friend,” Maddux adds with a smile.

CALGARY, Alberta – With less than a month until the puck drops, Hockey Canada has announced the 17 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and compete for a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship, May 4-12 at WinSport Arena in Calgary.

The roster – two goaltenders, five defenceman and 10 forwards - was selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON) and assistant coaches Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON).  

“We have been working hard to grow as a team since our initial evaluation camp in September. All of our players have shown resiliency and perseverance this season, which has made it challenging - in the best of ways - as staff to assemble this roster,” said Herrington. “Representing Canada on home ice is a special opportunity and we are confident this group will put in the necessary efforts to make Canadians proud from coast to coast to coast.”

The journey to the world championship began last September in Calgary, where 30 players were invited to evaluation camp. The competition schedule included the IPH Cup in Ostrava, Czechia, the Para Hockey Cup in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, and two series against the United States in Minot, North Dakota, and Calgary.

The roster features 12 players who won a silver medal at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship (Boily, Burnett, Cozzolino, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Jacobs-Webb, Kovacevich, Lelièvre, McGregor, Smith), and 14 who captured a silver medal at the 2023 Para Hockey Cup (Armstrong, Burnett, Cozzolino, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Hickey, Jacobs-Webb, Kingsmill, Kovacevich, Lavin, McGregor, Smith).

The support staff that will work with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team during the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship are:

• Assistant coach, mindset and leadership Liam Heelis (Georgetown, ON)
• Video coach Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB)
• Equipment managers Grant Boswall (Cornwall, PE) and Tyler Jay (Charlottetown, PE)
• Athletic therapist Tracy Meloche (Essex, ON)
• Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (Guelph, ON)
• Hockey operations coordinator Hannah Curlock (Calgary, AB)
• ​Communications coordinator ​Jacob Wolfenden (Hamilton, ON)

Canada will be joined by Czechia, Italy and Japan in Group B at the world championship, while Group A features China, Korea, Slovakia and the United States.

Canada opens its preliminary-round schedule on Saturday, May 4 at 5 p.m. MT against Japan. It will face Italy on May 5 before closing out prelim action against Czechia on May 7.

Fans can guarantee their seat by purchasing a full-event ticket package for as low as $99 at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

All 20 tournament games will be available for free via livestream at HockeyCanada.ca.

Canada has captured four gold medals at the World Para Hockey Championship (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017), in addition to four silver (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) and three bronze (1996, 2009, 2012).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is back to action Friday night on home ice, looking to bounce back from a series-opening loss when it takes on the United States in Game 2 at WinSport Arena.

Last Meeting & Last Game

The Canadians opened the series with a 5-1 loss to the U.S. in a Wednesday matinee. Corbyn Smith provided the offence with a power-play goal with less than two minutes to go, and Corbin Watson was terrific in his first Team Canada start in more than four years, finishing with 23 saves. The game was much closer than the final score indicates; the Americans scored three times in 24 seconds late in the third period – including an empty-netter – to pull away.

What to Watch

Smith has an opportunity to play his way into a major role as the season winds towards the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship on home ice. The Monkton, Ontario, native has been a fixture in the Team Canada lineup since 2016, contributing 42 points (15-27—42) in 79 career games. And with the Canadians down more than a few bodies in this series – they had just seven forwards and four defencemen dressed for Game 1 – Smith is taking advantage of his opportunity. Skating on the second line alongside Adam Dixon and Vincent Boily, he recorded his first goal since last year’s Para Worlds in Moose Jaw.

The dynamic duo of Declan Farmer and Brody Roybal continues to cause nightmares for the Canadians; they combined for six more points in the series opener, including goals from Farmer just 11 seconds apart in the dying minutes to put the exclamation point on the victory. Farmer (17-10—27) and Roybal (6-7—13) have been lights out against Canada this season, posting 40 points between them in just eight games.

Coming Back to Calgary

The series is serving as a final tuneup for both teams ahead of Para Worlds, which comes to WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park from May 4-12, the second year in a row the world championship will be played on Canadian ice.

Ticket packages are on sale now, with a full-tournament package (20 games) starting at $99, a medal-round package (six games) starting at $75, and single-game tickets starting at $15.

A Look Back

The head-to-head history between the Canadians and Americans is very close, with the U.S. holding a narrow 65-59-1 advantage.

The Americans have had the upper hand as of late; the last win for Canada came back on Oct. 29, 2021, when Anton Jacobs-Webb scored the winner 13 seconds into the third period, helping the Canadians earn a 4-2 victory in the opener of a two-game series in the St. Louis suburbs.

All-time record: United States leads 65-59-1 (13-8 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 242
United States goals: 274

The road to the World Para Hockey Championship comes to the home of the World Para Hockey Championship as Canada’s National Para Hockey Team opens up a three-game series against the United States on Wednesday afternoon.

Last Meeting & Last Game

Less than three weeks ago, on March 16, Canada closed out its three-game set with the Americans in Minot, North Dakota, dropping a 5-2 decision in Game 3. The Canadians played their best game of the series, twice erasing U.S. leads through Vincent Boily and Liam Hickey, but a pair of goals 12 seconds apart in the final minute of the second period broke open a tie game for the Americans. Adam Kingsmill was terrific again in the Canadian goal, making 24 saves.

What to Watch

The Canadians made a few roster changes from the group that played in Minot, including between the pipes. The puck-stopping trio in Calgary includes veteran Corbin Watson, the all-time leader in games played (84), wins (62) and shutouts (29) by a Team Canada goaltender who hasn’t appeared at a major international event since the 2019 Para Hockey Cup. The Kingsville, Ontario native, a two-time Paralympian (2014, 2018) and two-time world champion, will share the crease with incumbent Adam Kingsmill, who appeared in all three games in Minot, and Tyson Rietveld.

For the Americans, it’s (still) all about Declan Farmer. Widely considered the best player in the world, Farmer certainly played like it in Minot, scoring five goals and adding four assists across the three games to lead the U.S. to the sweep. The nine points gives the 26-year-old 38 points (23-15—38) in 13 games across all competitions this season, with 23 (15-8—23) coming in seven games against Canada.

Coming Back to Calgary

The series will serve as a final tuneup for both teams ahead of Para Worlds, which comes to WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park from May 4-12, the second year in a row the world championship will be played on Canadian ice.

Ticket packages are on sale now, with a full-tournament package (20 games) starting at $99, a medal-round package (six games) starting at $75, and single-game tickets starting at $15.

A Look Back

The head-to-head history between the Canadians and Americans is very close, with the U.S. holding a narrow 64-59-1 advantage.

The Americans have had the upper hand as of late; the last win for Canada came back on Oct. 29, 2021, when Anton Jacobs-Webb scored the winner 13 seconds into the third period, helping the Canadians earn a 4-2 victory in the opener of a two-game series in the St. Louis suburbs.

All-time record: United States leads 64-59-1 (13-8 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 241
United States goals: 269

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the roster for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team for its three-game series against the United States from April 1-6 at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

Three goaltenders, five defence and 11 forwards – including 13 members of the team that won a silver medal at the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship - were selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON) and assistant coaches Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON).

“We are anticipating great competition as this series will bring two of the strongest para hockey programs in the world to Calgary,” Herrington said. “We are looking forward to continue our team development towards becoming the Team Canada we need to be while giving fans an exciting preview of what to expect during the World Para Hockey Championship in May.”

The staff that will work with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team during the series includes:

• Video coach Steve Arsenault (Hamilton, ON)
• Team physician Dr. Ben Cameron (Summerside, PE)
• Physiotherapist Tracy Meloche (Essex, ON)
• Equipment managers Grant Boswall (Cornwall, PE) and AJ Murley (St. John’s, NL)
• Hockey operations manager Mitchell Furlotte (Bathurst, NB)
• Hockey operations coordinator Hannah Curlock (Calgary, AB)

The schedule includes on- and off-ice training and a trio of games against the Americans – April 3 at 1:30 p.m. MT, April 5 at 6 p.m. MT and April 6 at 10:30 a.m. MT.

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will be back on the ice at WinSport Arena when Calgary hosts the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship from May 4-12.

Tickets for Para Worlds are on sale now. Full-tournament packages (20 games) start at $99, medal-round packages (six games) start at $75, single-game tickets start at $15 and group tickets (for groups of 20 or more) start at $12. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit HockeyCanada.ca/ParaWorlds.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alberta – With less than two months until puck drop, Hockey Canada has announced the schedule for the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship, May 4-12 at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

“Hosting the World Para Hockey Championship in Alberta for the first time will be a significant moment for our organization and para hockey in Canada,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “We cannot wait to welcome each of the competing nations to Calgary this spring, and to drop the puck on what will be an incredible tournament at one of the top facilities in the country.”

Canada will be joined by Czechia, Italy and Japan in Group B, while Group A will include China, Korea, Slovakia and the United States. The two group winners will advance to the semifinals, while the second- and third-place teams cross over in the quarterfinals.

The preliminary-round schedule begins with a matchup between Slovakia and the United States at 10 a.m. MT on May 4, before Canada opens its tournament at 5 p.m. MT against Japan. The gold medal game is scheduled for May 12 at 5:30 p.m. MT.

The full tournament schedule can be found here.

Tickets for the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship will be on sale Thursday, March 21 at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets, with full-event packages starting at $99. Medal-round packages begin at $75, single-game tickets start at under $15 and group tickets are available for under $12.

"Calgary is proud to be partnering with Hockey Canada to host the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship," says Carson Ackroyd, senior vice-president of sales at Tourism Calgary. "We look forward to welcoming the players, coaches, officials and fans for the eight-country event that will deliver more than $3.1 million in economic activity for the city.”

Hockey Canada is seeking volunteers to support the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship. Those interested in supporting the tournament as a volunteer can sign up here.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team looks to close out its series against the United States with a win in the finale Saturday afternoon at MAYSA Arena.

Last Meeting & Last Game

Canada dropped Game 2 on Friday night, falling 4-1 to the Americans. Tyler McGregor scored the Canadians’ first goal of the series on a second-period power play, briefly making it a one-goal game, but the U.S. used three man-advantage goals of its own to leave the Canadians on the losing end. Adam Kingsmill was terrific again, finishing with 20 saves.

What to Watch

Liam Hickey appears to be officially back. The veteran missed out on the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship last spring on home ice in Moose Jaw and was absent from the Team Canada lineup for almost 10 months due to injury, returning to post three points in five games at the 2023 Para Hockey Cup in December. The St. John’s native was terrific on Friday, setting up McGregor for the Canadian goal and narrowly missing on a shorthanded breakaway in the third that would have set up a thrilling finish.

The biggest key to victory for the Canadians on Saturday? Stay out of the penalty box. The U.S. counted three power-play goals on five opportunities in Game 1, after converting once on four chances in the series opener on Wednesday. Brody Roybal had a goal and an assist on the power play Friday and Declan Farmer added a pair of helpers. Farmer also had the PPG on Wednesday, with Roybal earning the secondary assist.

Calgary, Here We Come (Part 2)

These two teams won’t have to wait long to face off again – the Canadians and Americans will meet in another three-game series in the first week of April in Calgary, at the same WinSport venue that will play host to the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship from May 4-12.

A Look Back

The head-to-head history between the Canadians and Americans is almost dead even, with the U.S. holding a narrow 63-59-1 advantage.

The Americans have had the upper hand as of late; the last win for Canada came back on Oct. 29, 2021, when Anton Jacobs-Webb scored the winner 13 seconds into the third period, helping the Canadians earn a 4-2 victory in the opener of a two-game series in the St. Louis suburbs.

All-time record: United States leads 63-59-1 (13-8 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 236
United States goals: 267

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team gets right back to action Friday night as it looks to bounce back and even up its series against the United States at MAYSA Arena in Minot.

Last Meeting & Last Game

Canada couldn’t find the back of the net in the series opener Wednesday, dropping a 7-0 decision to the Americans. Adam Kingsmill was terrific in his 30 minutes of work, turning aside 13 of 16 shots to keep the Canadians close before the U.S. put four past Mitchell Garrett in just over five minutes midway through the third period.

What to Watch

Kingsmill has put a firm grasp on the No. 1 goaltender role with the Canadians. The Smithers, B.C., native was left off the roster for the World Para Hockey Championship last spring, but has rebounded with a very good 2023-24 season in the absence of long-time starter Dominic Larocque. Kingsmill made 28 saves in a gold medal game loss to the U.S. at the IPH Cup in October, and followed that up with a 10-save effort in the Para Hockey Cup final in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, in early December. With another Para Worlds coming on home ice in less than two months, Kingsmill looks to be the man between the pipes for Team Canada.

As they are wont to do, the U.S. spread around the scoring in the series opener. Declan Farmer was his usual terrific self with two goals and an assist, Jack Wallace put up the same numbers, and Brody Roybal and Josh Misiewicz had a goal and two helpers apiece. That’s what makes the Americans so tough to slow down – they can get offence from anybody – or everybody – on any given night.

Calgary, Here We Come

World Para Ice Hockey made it official earlier this week – the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship will be played May 4-12 at WinSport Arena in Calgary, Alberta. The home of Hockey Canada is no stranger to world-class para hockey; it played host to the World Sledge Hockey Challenge (known today as the Para Hockey Cup) in 2011 and 2012.

A Look Back

The head-to-head history between the Canadians and Americans is almost dead even, with the U.S. holding a narrow 62-59-1 advantage.

The Americans have had the upper hand as of late; the last win for Canada came back on Oct. 29, 2021, when Anton Jacobs-Webb scored the winner 13 seconds into the third period, helping the Canadians earn a 4-2 victory in the opener of a two-game series in the St. Louis suburbs.

All-time record: United States leads 62-59-1 (13-8 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 235
United States goals: 263