Hometown Heroes: Tyler McGregor’s journey from Forest to the flag bearer

Tyler McGregor, right, of Canada and Brody Roybal of the United States battle for the puck during their para ice hockey finals match at the 2022 Winter Paralympics, Sunday, March 13, 2022, in Beijing. Women's team stars Marie-Philip Poulin and Sarah Nurse, Indigenous trailblazer Bridgette Lacquette and men's para hockey captain McGregor are among the Canadian hockey stars teaming with Tim Hortons on a new hockey diversity and inclusion campaign. (THE CANADIAN PRESS /AP/Dita Alangkara)

Before the cereal boxes, before the commercials, before being named a Canadian Paralympic flag bearer — Tyler McGregor was just a kid who lived within walking distance of the rink in Forest.

“If I wasn’t on our backyard rink or playing with my next-door neighbor on the on the street, we were at the rink,” he said.

In a small-town arena that was “old” and “cold,” McGregor’s love for the game took shape.

He remembers playoff nights vividly.

“When the home team played that place was packed and it was loud,” he said.

“When you’re so young, especially early in my career, my dreams were just to represent my hometown team in a silver stick tournament and have the opportunity to play there.”

Those dreams, he says, were just as meaningful then, as the Paralympics are now.

“It’s all relative to when I was seven years old watching the 16-year-olds play,” he said.

“That dream was just as special back then, on a different scale, than it is now.”

A diagnosis that changed everything

At 15, McGregor fractured his leg during a hockey game. What followed would alter the course of his life.

“I went through that recovery process and discovered I had spindle cell sarcoma, which is a form of soft tissue bone cancer,” he said.

He underwent chemotherapy and had his leg amputated above the knee.

He was still in Grade 10, living at home in Forest.

“It was a challenging time of my life. Not just for myself, but for my whole family as well,” said McGregor.

“Obviously, coming from a small town, it has a huge effect on everyone.”

He says the support of his family, friends and community carried him.

“I’m grateful that all of those people gave me strength during that time.”

Finding Para ice hockey

McGregor says the first time he saw Para ice hockey, he was in a hospital bed watching the Vancouver Paralympics in 2010.

“Even then I didn’t necessarily connect the dots right away,” he said.

He said he initially believed he would return to standing hockey using a prosthetic. But conversations with other athletes and a trusted coach helped him reconsider.

“For me, I was looking for a new opportunity to continue to play hockey competitively. That came in the form of Para hockey.”

He joined the national team in 2012 — just a year after first trying the sport — and has been a fixture ever since.

Now 31, McGregor is a three-time Paralympic medalist, with silver medals in 2018 and 2022 and a bronze in 2014. He captained Canada to a world championship title in 2024 and has become one of the most recognizable figures in Canadian Paralympic sport.

In 2026, he will serve as a co-flag bearer for Team Canada at the opening ceremonies in Milan.

Yet even at this level, he says the feeling hasn’t changed from the old barn in Forest.

“There’s nothing like competing against the best in the world at what you do in front of a packed crowd.”

Never a solo journey

Despite the accolades, McGregor is quick to deflect attention away from himself.

“The journey through life, and even to the Paralympic, it’s certainly not just a solo endeavor,” he said.

“Between my family, my friends, the community, all my coaches, there’s so many people that are involved in making it happen and making it special.”

Every time he returns home, that support is unmistakable.

“I remember my first one in particular, the first time I returned from the games. The whole town, it felt like came… we had kind of had a welcome home party… it was so special.”

Today, McGregor lives in the Windsor area with his fiancée, but Forest remains home.

He still carries the lessons of that small-town rink — the sense of community, the packed playoff games, the childhood dreams — with him onto the world stage.