USA Hockey Magazine

34 // SUMMER 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM E VAN NICHOLS ADMITS IT'S KIND OF COOL TO BE VIEWED AS A PARALYMPIC HERO by youngsters just learning the sport, but he never planned on being in that position. That's what happens when you play on the gold medal-winning U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team — kids as young as grammar school-age look up to you while they partici- pate in a regional sled camp. The camps, five of them in 2026 at various locations across the country, are part of USA Hockey 's sled hockey player devel- opment pyramid that is swiftly creating a pipeline of talent for the national team. The neat thing for the campers is that they get to skate with national team players like Nichols. "I never thought I'd be in that kind of position," said Nichols, a 21-year-old from Haymarket, Virginia. "I never thought people would be looking to me for advice. I've got to teach them all I can. That part has been fun." But while the camps, now in their third year, may create that pipeline to more Paralympic glory, Chuck Gridley, USA Hockey's New York District Coach-in-Chief, insists they are primar- ily about building skills that players can bring back to their home ice and help grow the grass- roots aspect of the sport. "Most players that play the game are at the rec level, they are playing in their hometown," said Gridley, one of the coaches working at these camps. "We've got players out there who are 8, 9, 10 years old; we've got a group of teenagers and the players that have the highest chance to make the national team level are 15 to 20 [years old]." Keep in mind, though, that anyone with an interest in building their sled hockey skills can participate. That means campers can be as old as 40 or beyond. USA Hockey hosted regional sled camps in Denver; Eagan, Minnesota; Fishers, Indiana; Amherst, New York; and Reno, Nevada. BIG D R E A M Players of All Ages Can Dream of Winning Paralympic Gold At Regional Sled Hockey Camps by Gregg Voss

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