Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1547508
42 // JULY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM WHATEVER IT TAKES L ast October, Kevin McKee thought his time on the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team might be over. He suffered a broken femur in what he calls a freak accident during a practice in Czechia. McKee worked extremely hard to return to the ice to play in his fourth Paralympic Winter Games this past March. That work paid off for the 36-year-old, who helped the U.S. win its fifth-straight Paralympic gold medal. McKee and his best friend and longtime teammate, Josh Pauls, had been talking for a couple years about retiring if they won another Paralympic gold; the first-place finish in Italy cemented McKee's decision. "I was going back and forth this summer about maybe giving it a go for another four [years]," McKee said. "But, honestly, it's kind of like my time's done, so to speak. I want to move on with life a little bit and see what else is out there." His decision to retire became a little more difficult when McKee volunteered at a sled hockey camp early in the summer. "I love giving back because I went to those kinds of camps when I was a kid and I met Paralympians and that's what got me excited about the sport," McKee said. "Us coaches, the Paralympians that were coaching, we got a little bit of ice time on our own. So, we jumped in and played at that level again with those guys. It was Declan [Farmer] and Brody [Roybal] and Travis [Dodson] was there and Spuds [Pauls] was playing goalie. I thought like, 'Damn, do I really want to stop?' I was really having fun again. But then more of the summer went on and the more I thought about it for a long time." McKee, who was born with caudal regres- sion syndrome, a rare congenital By Greg Bates Kevin McKee Retires From U.S. National Sled Hockey Team Following Fourth Paralympic Gold Medal 42 // NOV/DEC 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM After overcoming a broken femur just months before the 2026 Paralympics, Kevin McKee returned to the ice to help Team USA capture its fifth consecutive gold medal. DIGITAL BONUS CONTENT