U.S. wins World Para Ice Hockey Championships in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- The United States men’s sled hockey team delivered a dominant performance to capture the gold medal at the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships, defeating Canada 6-1 in a highly anticipated final on Saturday.

"It's so amazing to be here, to be a part of this, to have Team USA win,” said one enthusiastic U.S. fan, reflecting the energy that pulsed through Buffalo’s LECOM Harborcenter during the title game.

Throughout the tournament, the U.S. showcased superiority on both ends of the ice. However, Saturday's final presented a tougher challenge in a tight-checking game. The Americans led just 3–1 heading into the second period, a contrast to their earlier blowouts.

"People look at it, sometimes they judge a game by the score," said U.S. head coach David Hoff. "You know what? It's 3–1, and that's only two goals apart. But where we make it hard is we just wear on people. We're not letting off."

That relentless pressure paid off. The Americans extended their lead to 4–1 entering the third period and never looked back.

The victory was fueled not only by revenge -- after falling to Canada 2–1 in last year’s final -- but also by a standout performance from defenseman Jack Wallace. Wallace recorded a hat trick from the blue line and was later named the best defenseman of the tournament.

"The team played great. It's easy to play good defense when everyone's playing defense, right?" Wallace said. "When you've got a great team around you, it makes everything a lot easier."

Hoff added: "Our guys had a theme this year — 'earn it back.' All year was about earning our way back to the top of the mountain."

Saturday marked the eighth time the rivals squared off in the world championship final. Canada, hoping to claim its sixth world title and match the U.S. record, instead watched as the Americans captured their seventh world gold.

"It was a pretty amazing tournament," said Canadian fan Elizabeth Brown-Sprag. "I'm happy we made it down ourselves and got silver and were able to experience that."

The electric atmosphere in Buffalo was felt by fans from both sides.

"The energy in the building, to have it in Buffalo with all these world teams here -- heartwarming, fun, exciting," said U.S. fan Kim Lampman.

The championship win carried extra meaning for Team USA, as the U.S. also took home gold in Buffalo 10 years ago.

"I've got family from Buffalo, so I've been up here a bunch. It's a great city, so it was really fun to play in front of them," said Wallace.

"To finish today with all the family and friends here, and the other people that came out to hear USA cheers throughout the game -- it was just a lot of fun. And I know our guys appreciate it. It's something we will remember forever," said Hoff.

Next up for many of these players is the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Italy, where the U.S. will look to defend its title on the world stage.