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A N N Y G U E R R A p r o u d l y l o o k e d o n from the right cor- n e r o f t h e G r a n d B a l l r o o m i n s i d e t h e O m n i W i l l i a m Penn Hotel and wiped a t t h e t e a r s f o r m i n g in his eyes. Hundreds of attendees at the 52 nd U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration erupted as highlights of the 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team played on the big screen, including Guerra's final save in the team's gold-medal victory over Norway in a shootout. Te a m U S A's g o l d m e d a l i s a m o m e n t that still resonates with Guerra more than two decades since the 2002 Paralympic S l e d Ho c k e y Te a m m a d e h i st o r y a s t h e f i r s t A m e r i c a n t e a m t o w i n g o l d i n t h e Paralympic Games. Speaking on behalf of the 2002 Paralympic S l e d H o c k e y Te a m d u r i n g We d n e s d a y night's U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, Guerra recalled being mobbed on the ice by head coach and former NHL player Rick Middleton and his teammate Chris Manns in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Paralympics. "I will never forget how you (Middleton) ran towards me at the end of the shootout with that smile of sheer joy as you and Chris hugged me and piled on me," Guerra said. " Yo u m u tt e r e d i n t o my e a r, ' T h i s i s my Stanley Cup! This is my Stanley Cup.' "Realizing you had been there three times and never won it, I burst into tears. I could not believe how you considered this accom- plishment as monumental as winning the Stanley Cup itself." The reality is that the 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team's gold medal victory was indeed historic and monumental. It carried the same weight as a Stanley Cup title or a gold medal for the Olympic Men's or Women's Ice Hockey Teams. Shines In PIT TSBURGH B Y : J U S T I N F E L I S K O M CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL CEREMONY PHOTO BY USA Hockey Archives 28 // JAN/FEB 2025 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM 2024 T H E U . S . H O C K E Y C L A S S FAME HALL OF