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JULY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 41 tions and being a friendly face, that's what I'm the proudest of. I got to be that guy the entire time I was on the team. I never really had to change who I was as a person." Pauls has been dealing with some injuries the last few years, which played a factor in his decision to retire. His biggest rea- son for retiring though is he just doesn't have the motivation to compete any longer. "I love being with the guys. I love playing hockey with them. I love being out there. But the grind kind of being by myself here in St. Louis, it's not as much fun as it used to be," Pauls said. " What else do I need to accomplish? I'm top three all time in points. I'm never passing Declan [Farmer] and Brody [Roybal], and I kind of knew that years ago. I have the most gold medals in sled hock- ey and anybody in ice hockey, as I can tell, at least internationally. " T h e m o t i v a t i o n 's j u s t n o t there. I'm ready for a new chal- lenge. I'm ready for a new chap- ter. I want to do some other stuff in my life. I've lived, some would say, multiple lifetimes in just my 33 years here. I'm excited to see what I get into next." P "I want other people to succeed. It's a privilege to be asked for advice, and I never want to let that privilege go away." After nearly two decades representing Team USA, Pauls looks forward to a new chapter while remaining proudest of the impact he made on teammates and the sled hockey community. USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM NOV/DEC 2026 // 41