Game Notes • USA vs. Canada • May 3, 2015 • Page 3
THIRD TIME ON HOME ICE
This is the third time the tournament is taking place in the
United States. In 2000, Salt Lake City, Utah, held the sec-
ond edition of the tournament before the event returned
eight years later in Marlborough, Massachusetts. This
year’s event takes place in Buffalo, New York, home of
Team USA teammates Adam Page and Paul Schaus.
UNPRECEDENTED TELEVISION COVERAGE
NBC Sports Group is streaming all 20 games from the
championship on NBC Sports Live Extra. Additionally,
NBC Sports Network televised Team USA’s preliminary
round victory over Italy on Wednesday (April 29) and
Team USA’s seminal victory over Norway on Friday
(May 1). Today’s game will be televised live on NBCSN.
BEST SEASON START EVER
Team USA entered World Championship play with an
undefeated 7-1-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record. The season
began in Leduc, Alberta, where the U.S. won the 2015
World Sled Hockey Challenge. Team USA then faced
Canada in Indian Trail, North Carolina, in April, where
theyswepttheThree-GameSeriesforthersttime,shut-
ting the Canadians out twice.
CAPTAIN AMERICA
Josh Sweeney is serving as captain for Team USA, while
Nikko Landeros and Josh Pauls are the alternate cap-
tains. A year ago, the trio helped Team USA capture the
gold medal at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in So-
chi, Russia. Sweeney scored the game-winning goal to
clinch gold over host, Russia. Landeros and Pauls were
members of the U.S. squad that won gold at the 2010 Para-
lympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.
COACH SAUER RETURNS
Jeff Sauer, head coach of the U.S. National Sled Hockey
Team, returned behind Team USA’s bench after missing
theSledSeriesvs.CanadatocoachtheU.S.Deaympic
Ice Hockey Team to a bronze medal in the 18th Winter
DeaympicsinKhanty-Mansiysk,Russia.
VETERAN PRESENCE
Eleven members of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team
helped Team USA claim gold at the 2014 Paralympic
Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
D Tyler Carron (5GP, 0-0--0)
G Steve Cash (5GP, 4-0-0-1)
F Declan Farmer (5GP, 3-1--4)
D Nikko Landeros (5GP, 0-5--5)
F Dan McCoy (5GP, 0-2--2)
F Kevin McKee (5GP, 0-0--0)
F Adam Page (5GP, 3-1--4)
F Josh Pauls (5GP, 1-1--2)
F Brody Roybal (5GP, 2-0--2)
F Paul Schaus (5GP, 1-1--2)
F Josh Sweeney (5GP, 2-0--2)
MARINE MEMBERS
Four members of the team have served in the U.S. mili-
tary. Luke McDermott, Josh Misiewicz, Paul Schaus,
and Josh Sweeney served in the U.S. Marine Corps and
are each Purple Heart recipients.
JOHN BUCCIGROSS: SLED HOCKEY AMBASSADOR
IN USA HOCKEY/LABATT USA PARTNERSHIP
On April 24, 2015, USA Hockey announced its expanded
partnership with Labatt USA in support of a new initia-
tive that will raise $250,000 and launch 10 new adult sled
hockey programs across the United States in one year.
National sportscaster John Buccigross is an ambassador
of the program and will help support Labatt’s efforts to
raise funds for USA Hockey’s Sled Hockey Program.
SPUDS THE BLOGGER
Two-time Paralympic gold medalist and World Cham-
pion, Josh Pauls, is blogging for TeamUSA.org through-
out the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Champion-
ships. Nicknamed for routinely facing a Mr. Potatohead
gureattheopposinglockerroom,follow‘Spudsy’as
he shares his and Team USA’s experiences of playing in
a World Championship on home soil by visiting TeamU-
SA.org or sledworlds.usahockey.com.
AVALANCHE CLAIM NATIONAL TITLE
Team USA players Tyler Carron and Nikko Landeros
helped the Colorado Avalanche defeat RIC Blackhawks
and fellow national team members Kevin McKee and
Brody Roybal, 4-2, to claim the 2015 Toyota-USA Hock-
ey Adult Sled Hockey National Championship at North-
town Center in Amherst, New York, on April 12. Other
U.S. National Sled Hockey Team members who competed
in the tournament included Adam Page and Paul Schaus
(Buffalo Sabres); Steve Cash, Billy Hanning, and Josh
Pauls (St. Louis Blues); Chris Douglas and Declan
Farmer (Florida Bandits); Luke McDermott (San Anto-
nio Rampage); and Josh Misiewicz (USA Warriors).
OTHER USA HOCKEY HAPPENINGS
The U.S. Men’s National Team improved to 2-0 in
preliminary-round action at the 2015 International Ice
Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship in
Ostrava and Prague, Czech Republic, with a 2-1 victory
over Norway. Team USA defeated Finland, 5-1, to open
the tournament yesterday. The tournament will conclude
on May 17 with the gold-medal game.