USA Hockey Magazine

"The biggest thing for Jen is he just needs to be himself. There's some- thing about him that makes Jen really unique. He's a competitor. He's got to play to his strengths, and if he does that and just stays within himself and doesn't try to do too much, he's going to be just fine." Leading into the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, it was Lee's time to shine as a starter – and did he ever. The 35-year-old, who describes himself as "35 years young," was up to the task in leading the U.S. to its unprecedented fourth straight gold medal. In fact, Lee, who started every game, did not surrender a single goal. Lee feels like his game has grown since he first joined the team for the 2014 Paralympics. He received advice from his former head coach, the late Je f f S a u e r, t h a t h e s a i d h e d i d n ' t understand when he was younger, but, it eventually found its mark. "He told me that goaltending is a position that as you grow older you become better at," Lee recalled the iconic coach telling him. " You get a little bit better understanding of the game, about the playing style, and how you and your teammates can build off the energy of the game." Lee drew inspiration not only from C a s h a n d h i s c u r r e n t t e a m m a t e s, but also from a cult classic Disney hockey movie. "I'm not kidding but every time I watch The Mighty Ducks I find some- thing different and profound in it," Lee admitted. "It is always teaching what teamwork is, about being selfless, growing maturely with the game and understanding that it takes a whole village for everything." It was teamwork and selflessness that started from the net and moved out that allowed the U.S. to fire on all cylinders in Beijing. They outscored opponents 30-1, including a dominat- ing 5-0 performance in the gold-medal game against Canada. L e e c a m e u p w i t h a n u m b e r o f key saves early in the game to keep the Canadians from capturing the momentum. Then the offense took over and Lee made every save the rest of the way to earn his third Paralympic gold and first as a starter. The normally happy-go-lucky San Francisco native, who was always jok- ing around and making his teammates laugh, was visibly emotional as fellow goaltender Griffin Lamarre placed the gold medal around his neck. "I just feel very fortunate," Lee said as the gold medal hung proudly around his neck. "Growing up, I wanted to be two things: an athlete and G.I. Joe. I was fortunate to be able to serve my country, and after I lost my leg I was fortunate to be an athlete and repre- sent my country in a different way." P Kyle Huson is the manager of commu- nications for USA Hockey. 40 // JUNE 2022 T he Goalie Issue USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM J E N L E E J E N L E E There's something about him that makes Jen really unique. He's a competitor." Jen Lee's personality makes him a favorite among his U.S. teammates as well as with opponents. PHOTOS BY Getty Images

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