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lowing a motorcycle crash. The following year, Lee found sled hockey, and it wasn't long before he worked his way onto the national team. Representing his country was always special for Lee, especially since he moved to the U.S. at age 6. "I'm super thankful for not only getting the opportunity to serve my country, but our nation gives us a sense of opportunity and freedom to represent your country in a different way," said Lee, who is now living back in Taipei. "Being able to do that on a big stage where everybody still looks at us as important as the men's hockey team, the women's hockey team, it's just such a huge honor for sure to be a part of that." After backing up Cash — who is in the U.S. Hockey H a l l o f Fa m e a s w e l l as the U.S. Olympics & P a r a l y m p i c s H a l l o f Fa m e — L e e t o o k o n a mentorship role of his own. Griffin LaMarre joined the national team in 2021 and is next up in a line of great goaltending lineage for Team USA. Cash showed Lee the ropes when he came up in 2010, and he couldn't have asked for a better person to learn from. "He gave me a lot of pointers in and out, talked about the mental side of it, the commitment side of it, being a goaltender," Lee said. "Just watching him and backing him up, I just realized how great he is and that's why he's one of the all-time greats for sure." "Whatever Steve taught me, I wanted to do the same thing for Griffin. It's just hav- ing that USA Hockey goaltending standard that you carry and things like that, and I'm just happy to see him doing so well." At 40 years old, Lee was one of the veter- ans on the national team. Now he's ready to pass on the torch to the next generation of sled hockey players. Lee will miss the camaraderie he shared with his teammates: the fun times in the locker room, team dinners, chats at coffee shops and participating in small tourna- ments leading up to the Paralympic Games. But there is one thing Lee certainly won't miss. " D r a g g i n g t h e h o c k e y b a g f o r t h e last 13, 14 seasons," he said. "It's one of those things that you're always g o i n g t o b e l i k e , ' H e y, m a n . I don't really miss doing this.'" P With nine gold medals and 27 career shutouts, Lee leaves behind an impressive legacy after 14 years representing Team USA. "Having a daughter, having my family be a priority, that's really what makes me wake up every day." USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM NOV/DEC 2026 // 39 PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES; USA HOCKEY ARCHIVE