Behind the scenes at the World Para Ice Hockey Championships with Norway's Ola Oiseth

Ola Oiseth, captain of Norway’s Para ice hockey team, has played the sport for nearly 16 years. Yet before every match, he still feels a wave of nerves—and he believes that’s exactly how it should be.

“You want to be, at least for me, I want to be a little bit nervous. That’s when I know I’m ready and I’m switched on and I know that the game matters,” Oiseth said during the Buffalo 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool in Buffalo, New York.

“It’s a sign that the game matters and you know that you have a great opportunity playing for your country and you know that you need to go out there, you need to compete.”

The ice is on fire at the 2025 World Championships

Norway is one of the eight teams competing at the eight-day World Championships taking place at LECOM Harborcenter, held less than a year before the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. 

Alongside Norway are hosts USA, defending champions Canada, China, Republic of Korea, Germany, Czechia and Slovakia.

Before the tournament opener, Oiseth gave fans a behind-the-scenes tour of the venue via the @Paralympics TikTok channel, answering questions and sharing his excitement for the road to Milano Cortina 2026.

“This year it's especially important because it's qualification for Milano Cortina Paralympics coming next year. All teams are fighting with all they've got to get a spot there," he said. “I've been lucky to experience the 2018 Paralympics in PyeongChang. That was a great experience but I'm sure Milano Cortina will even surpass that. 

“I know Milan is a great city and I'm sure the organisation will be great."

Behind the scenes

Oiseth discovered Para ice hockey 16 years ago through a friend's father. Since giving the sport a try, he has been fascinated by the sport's unique blend of speed, physicality and technical skill.

Norway have won five Paralympic medals, including one gold, since Para ice hockey made its Games debut at Lillehammer 1994.

The captain says it is the "team spirit" that motivates him to keep playing. 

“Being in the locker room with teammates and going on adventures, like this -  traveling from Norway to the USA,” he said. “With the sport being so fast and physical, but also all the technical abilities you need to improve.

“It's a complete sport for me.”

At LECOM Harborcenter, teams selected their locker rooms based on tournament seeding, Oiseth shared. Norway, seeded No. 7, found their space cozy but functional. 

“The Norwegian locker room, it's a bit tight but it's enough space for us. The team is like a big family so sitting here shoulder-to-shoulder is not a problem for us,” he said with a smile.

The venue features plastic ice surfaces in front of games-day locker rooms and players' benches by the rink, allowing athletes to move on their sleds. Plexiglass panels are also set up around the ice so athletes can also follow the action, Oiseth shared.

“We have plexiglass so players are able to look at the field of play so we can watch what happens and see if teammates are coming in for a change,” he added.

Following a rest day, competition will resume on 27 May. 

The top five teams in Buffalo will earn qualification slots for the next Winter Games in Italy. The 2025 Paralympic Qualification Tournament held later in the year will feature the teams ranked sixth, seventh, and eighth at the World Championships A-Pool. 

Spirit to compete

When asked by a fan what makes a great Para ice hockey player, Oiseth emphasised the importance of having a positive mindset. 

“If you want to do well, it is the spirit to compete. You need to be the team that wants to win the most,” he said. “That's the most important quality you can have and that's also one of the more difficult things to practice and be good at.”

“If you're looking for physical (qualities), speed is important in general, and also being able to handle the puck well is, of course, important.

"Obviously the ability to get out there and compete harder than your opponent is the most important thing.”

Complete scores, stats and schedule can be found on the from the World Para Ice Hockey Championship page

USAHockeyTV is streaming all the Bufalo 2025 action live.