‘A smashing success’: Para Hockey Cup organizers tout well-supported tourney as Canada readies for semi-final

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – At times scrappy, bone-crunching, dramatic and adrenaline-fuelled, para hockey athletes showed that arguably the biggest rivalry in hockey is just as intense as able-bodied games.

Canada and the United States faced off in their final preliminary round games at the 2025 Para Hockey Cup in Dawson Creek, an international tournament hosted at the Ovintiv Events Centre this week.

Despite a two-goal performance from Canadian captain Tyler McGregor, the game ended in a 3-2 win for the Americans.

The two countries are joined by Czechia and China in a final tune-up for the Winter Paralympics next year in Italy.  

The tournament, founded in 2007 as the World Sledge Hockey Challenge, is sanctioned by Hockey Canada, and everyone is satisfied with the attendance at the games thus far, according to Ryan MacIvor, a member of the organizing committee.

“It’s always the Canada-U.S. rivalry that brings out the fans, right?” asked MacIvor. “Everyone loves the battle between the two nations. And those players are giving it all as they lay out for the countries on their chests.

“[The tournament has so far] been a smashing success. We will have the semi-finals Friday, and then we’ll have bronze and gold, and hopefully we’ll see Canada-U.S. in the gold medal on Saturday.”

Off the ice, there is an added sense of community involved with the event. Ovintiv and Dawson Co-Op have already organized a food drive, with $100 dollars from the energy company and two grocery bags from the store being donated for every goal scored.

As of Wednesday, December 3rd, 36 goals have been scored, equalling $3,600 and 72 grocery bags donated.

Additionally, there is a food drive being organized during Friday night’s semi-final contests and over 4,300 School District 59 and 60 students were able to watch several games, including Canada vs Czechia and Czechia vs China.

A member of the SD59 entourage taking in the matches was Deanna Walsh, who is an educational assistant at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.

As she self-professed to “love hockey,” Walsh came in her team Canada poncho ready to root the boys-in-red on. She had caught China and Czechia earlier in the day.

“I was not prepared for the speed,” said Walsh. “I was not prepared for the contact. It’s a lot of contact.”

With the ice at the Ovintiv Events Centre catered to host the Dawson Creek Kodiaks, accessibility alterations were made to the arena, said MacIvor.

This included investing in a para-hockey kit with polycarbonate ‘see-through’ benches and synthetic ice, thus raising the level of ice to accommodate the athletes. 

“The Ovintiv Events Centre is great, because everything for the athletes is on one level,” said MacIvor. “There are no stairs and nothing that would impede them for any path of travel.”

Team captain McGregor, a member of the team for 14 years, praised his team in a post-game interview with Energeticcity.ca, and said just like mainstream hockey competitions like the Four Nations Face Off, games between the rivals can get heated.

“That is a team we play more than anyone,” said McGregor. “We don’t have a whole lot of competitive opportunities outside the national team. 

“It has been such a long history between the two of our teams. I think that just adds to the rivalry, adds to the excitement and the competitiveness.”

Declan Farmer, who scored to put the U.S. up 3-1 early in the third period, agreed with that sentiment.

“[When] there’s not internationally accredited referees, they kind of get out of control,” said Farmer. “Tonight was kind of more of an MMA fight than it was a hockey game.”

The U.S. win means they will play China in a semi-final on Friday, December 5th, while Canada will play Czechia in the other semi-final.

The gold and bronze medal matches will occur on Saturday, December 6th.

More details or how to purchase tickets about the 2025 Para Hockey Cup are available on the event’s website.