Milano Cortina 2026: Best Para ice hockey moments
Team USA win historic fifth straight gold Japan's Akari Fukunishi becomes fourth female Paralympian Italy boosted by home crowd to finish with three straight wins 23 Mar 2026
The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games featured unforgettable moments, groundbreaking achievements, and emotional highs, all taking place at stunning venues in Italy.
In Para ice hockey, competition was fierce throughout the 10-day tournament. Team USA won their fifth straight gold after beating rivals Canada 6-2 in the gold medal game at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. China took bronze, four years after finishing with bronze on their Paralympic debut at Beijing 2022.
Best Para Ice Hockey Moments🏒💥| Milano Cortina 2026❄️
Here are three moments from Para ice hockey that made the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics even more magical.
Best moment: USA win historic fifth straight gold
Team USA claimed a fifth consecutive Paralympic title after beating Canada, who were chasing their first gold since Torino 2006.
Jack Wallace, who was selected as the tournament’s Best Defender, scored a hat-trick, while Kayden Beasley, Declan Farmer and Brody Roybal also found the net for the champions. Liam Hickey scored both of Canada’s goals.
Farmer was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). The now four-time gold medallist was also Milano Cortina 2026’s top scorer, with 15 goals.
“There’s a lot of relief, for sure,” Farmer said. “It's so much pressure builds up to it. This was the most anxious I was for any gold-medal game in my whole career, and that's why we're a team.
“Some people, a lot of the guys, stepped up and had their best games of the tournament, and we just carried each other. I'm just so happy for the guys, we earned it together. This group is great.”
Read more about the gold-medal match
Rising star: Akari Fukunishi becomes fourth female Paralympian
While many new players impressed on the ice, one Paralympic debutant made history at Milano Cortina 2026. Japan’s Akari Fukunishi became the fourth female Para ice hockey player to compete at a Paralympics.
Fukunishi competed during Japan’s group-stage game against Canada and said she was impressed by the level of support she received from the crowd.
Japan, making their return to the Paralympics after missing out on Beijing 2022, finished eighth in the eight-team tournament.
“I expected the Paralympics to be a very fun place, but it was a very challenging place,” Fukunishi said.
“I was surprised and really happy that not only Japanese people, but Italians, including volunteers, came to cheer for us. Their support was very reassuring.”
Read more about Akari Fukunishi and female participation
Surprise moment: Italy boosted by home crowd to finish with three straight wins
Hosts Italy picked up their momentum as the tournament progressed, listed by a vocal home crowd. The team opened their campaign against the USA in front of nearly 9,000 spectators.
Following two tough defeats, Italy bounced back to record three straight wins and secure a fifth-place finish. In their final game, Gianluigi Rosa scored twice to help Italy come from behind for a 5-2 win over Germany.
“The most important thing was to finish in fifth place. We deserve it,” the captain said.
“I have to dedicate (this win) to all the guys who are with us in the team. Some maybe are not playing in the national team, but they are cheering for us. They are training with us during the season and when we were preparing for the Paralympic Games.
“This victory, for sure, is for them, because we are proud of them.”
Read more about Team Italy at Milano Cortina 2026
Read more about the top moments from the Para ice hockey tournament
