Canada settles for Paralympic silver after 6-2 loss to U.S. in hockey; Eriksson adds bronze

Corbin Watson during the match against USA in the Para ice hockey final at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan, Italy on March 15, 2026. // Corbin Watson lors du match contre le USA en finale de para-hockey sur glace aux Jeux paralympiques de 2026 a Milan, en Italie, le 15 mars 2026.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, , Matteo Cogliati

MILAN — Devastation is the feeling for Liam Hickey.

The Para ice hockey star scored both of Canada’s goals but the team settled for silver with a 6-2 loss to the United States on Sunday in the final event of the Milan Cortina Paralympics. It’s the third straight Paralympic final Canada has lost, all to the U.S., which won its fifth straight gold.

“We’re devastated right now,” Hickey said. “A lot of us have trained our whole lives for this. We’re still chasing that gold medal. Not being able to get it done right now, again, stinks pretty bad.

“We helped the U.S. out, if anything, on a few of those goals. With a team like that, you can’t give them that momentum. And we were confident in how we played for the most part as a team. But that killed us in the end.”

Canada hasn’t won hockey gold at the Paralympics since the 2006 Games. Canada has earned medals at every Games besides 2002 and 2010 since its inception at the Paralympics in 1994.

Canada has won four world championships since its last Paralympic gold (2008, 2013, 2017, 2024), defeating the U.S. for its last three worlds gold.

“We need to continue to build depth in our program,” captain Tyler McGregor said. “We have an incredible young crop of players that had incredible tournaments and were really impactful for us.

“We trust that our program, and everybody involved, will take those steps in the future, and hopefully it’ll result in a different colour of medal next time.”

Jack Wallace led the Americans with a hat trick while Kayden Beasley, Declan Farmer and Brody Roybal, with a short-handed empty-net goal, added the others.

Hickey tied the score 1:45 into the second period at 1-1 after Wallace opened the scoring. However, Wallace scored twice more and Beasley also netted one to restore the Americans’ lead and make it a 4-1 game.

After Hickey scored again 2:06 into the third period, Farmer, who was named tournament MVP and Roybal sealed the win.

“Disappointed for the players, they put their heart and soul on the ice,” Canada head coach Boris Rybalka said. “And how hard they played, and that’s why you play the game, to give yourself that opportunity. They had that opportunity for gold. We came up short, but extremely proud of them.

“We had lots of opportunities in front of their net, and they (the USA) did capitalize on their opportunities. But, again, when I look at the game and how we played, I have nothing but pride for our team.”

In Para alpine skiing action, Canada’s Kalle Eriksson, and guide Sierra Smith, earned bronze in the men’s visually impaired slalom for their third medal of the Paralympics.

Eriksson and Smith, who won silver and bronze earlier in the Games, finished with a total time of one minute 31.26 seconds. Italy’s Giacomo Bertagnolli (1:29.29) and Poland’s Michal Golas (1:29.56) grabbed gold and silver, respectively.

“I’m feeling great right now,” Eriksson said. “To finally get back on the podium is awesome. We missed it twice just by a hair. I was definitely a little worried.

“My ambition for today was to just go out and have fun, but then the second run came around, and I was in third again. I was like, ‘Man, I really do not feel like coming fourth again’, so to come down across the bottom, and go first and finish third was awesome.”

Canada closed the Games with three gold, four silver and eight bronze to finish eighth in the gold-medal standings and sixth in overall medals.