Torino 2013: Sweden preview

Sweden have participated in ice sledge hockey at every Paralympic Winter Games, but will they be able to continue that streak in 2014?

The top three finishers from the IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Qualification Tournament will qualify for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

Here's a brief overview of Sweden's ice sledge hockey team as they head to Torino, where they will challenge Italy, South Korea, Germany, Japan and Great Britain for one of the Paralympic spots.

Outlook

Sweden have participated in ice sledge hockey at every Paralympic Winter Games, but will they be able to continue that streak in 2014?

Most recently, the team took second at the 2012 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships B-Pool before finishing in a disappointing eighth place at this year’s A-Pool World Championships.

The programme has the talent to get back to the Paralympics, the major looming question is just whether their small roster of only 10 players will have enough energy to last for five tough games in Torino.

Five of those players are forwards – Per Kasperi, Peter Ojala, Niklas Rakos, Christian Hedberg and Flip Silvstrand Olsson – and any of them can score on any given day, though.

Veterans Ulf Nilsson and Kenth Jonsson will share the duties between the posts.

Despite their small roster, never count out a team that has three Paralympic and three World Championship medals to their name in the past two decades.

Key players

Per Kasperi (forward); Peter Ojala (forward); Niklas Ingvarsson (defence)

Head coach

Jorgen Lundgren

Last Paralympic appearance

Vancouver 2010 – eighth place