Buffalo 2025 Team Preview: Get to know Canada

The 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool will kick off this week in Buffalo, New York. Hosted in conjunction with USA Hockey at LECOM Harborcenter, the tournament will feature three days of group play followed by three days of playoff contests. The top five finishers from the event will earn qualification spots for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The bottom three finishers will be forced to compete at the Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament that will take place later in 2025.

We have taken a closer look at seven teams so far, now it is time for reigning champions Canada.

Background 

Canada is skating into these World Championships on a high and the team to beat after winning the world title last year for the first time since 2017. Three of the top four scoring leaders at last year’s event were from Team Canada: Tyler McGregor (18 points), Dominic Cozzolino (17 points) and Liam Hickey (17 points). With Buffalo so close to the border, it will almost be a home tournament for Canada, too, which is hoping to go into the 2026 Winter Paralympics as the favorite after claiming silver at the last two editions of the Games.

World Championships History

2024: Gold (A-Pool)
2023: Silver (A-Pool)
2021: Silver (A-Pool)
2019: Silver (A-Pool)
2017: Gold (A-Pool)
2015: Silver (A-Pool)
2013: Gold (A-Pool)
2012: Bronze (A-Pool)
2009: Bronze (A-Pool)
2008: Gold (A-Pool)
2004: 4th place (A-Pool)
2000: Gold (A-Pool)
1996: Bronze (A-Pool)

🏒🔥 The road to glory begins!

The schedule is set, and tickets are ON SALE for the #Buffalo2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A Pool.

🎟️: https://t.co/PnN6ohIDBo
More info: https://t.co/2dwNmM47H5 pic.twitter.com/KJG0T4EPWa

— Para Ice Hockey (@paraicehockey) January 30, 2025

Athlete to Watch

While Tyler McGregor may seem the obvious veteran skater to profile here, it is Dominic Cozzolino who could be the difference for Canada and one of the most underrated players in the sport. He had 17 points at last year’s event, only one less than McGregor and two less than leading scorer Declan Farmer of the USA – and he has been part of the last five World Championship rosters with Canada. Since taking a break from the sport for the 2021-2022 season for physical and mental reasons, he has come back stronger than ever.

Matchup to Watch 

When Canada meets China on Tuesday, 27 May, it will be the first time the two meet in group play at a World Para Ice Hockey event. The two teams have been at the last Winter Paralympics and last two World Championships together, but each time have been in different groups and only faced one another once in the playoffs – when Canada came from behind to beat China, 2-1, at one of last year’s semifinals in Calgary. This has the chance to turn into the closest, most highly anticipated matchup of all 12 games in the preliminary round in Buffalo.

Game Schedule

Saturday, 24 May
17:00 - Canada vs. Germany

Sunday, 25 May
17:00 - Korea vs. Canada

Tuesday, 27 May
10:00 - Canada vs. China

More information about the Buffalo 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships can be found here.