Milano Cortina 2026: Can USA win their fifth straight Para ice hockey gold?
Eight teams will compete for glory at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena 06 Mar 2026
Ready to watch fast and physical action at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games? Get ready to experience all the excitement of Para ice hockey.
The Para ice hockey tournament will take place from 7 to 15 March at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. There will be three days of preliminary-round matches before teams advance to the knockout stage, with the medal matches scheduled on the same day as the Closing Ceremony.
Eight teams - Italy, Canada, China, Czechia, Germany, Japan, Slovakia and the USA – are aiming to take the spotlight.
Fans can look forward to iconic rivalries — especially between the USA and Canada — as well as rising teams and others making their long-awaited return to the biggest stage.
Five stories to follow at Milano Cortina 2026
Can the USA make it five in a row?
The USA have topped the Para ice hockey podium at every Winter Paralympics since Vancouver 2010.
They are the most decorated team in the sport, with five golds and one bronze since Para ice hockey debuted at Lillehammer 1994. The team have not missed a podium since Nagano 1998.
But with a fierce rivalry against six-time Paralympic medallists Canada and rapid development among other nations, a five-peat will be an incredible challenge.
Can the USA make even more history at Milano Cortina 2026?
Can Canada win their first gold since Torino 2006?
Canada aim to recreate their golden moment from Torino 2006, where the team defeated Norway to claim the title. Canada reached the Paralympic final at the last two editions and are determined to secure their first gold medal in 20 years.
The team are well positioned for a strong run at Milano Cortina 2026 after winning the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool on home ice in Calgary.
“We’re prepared to do whatever the moment demands and hope that results in a gold medal. It would mean so much for us. We’ve been missing it, we’ve been around the people who won it in 2006, and we know what it means,”
— Canada star Tyler McGregor
"It is a lifelong dream and a culmination of so much hard work, and it would mean everything.”
Germany return to Paralympics
Milano Cortina 2026 will be a special moment for Team Germany, marking their return to the Paralympics in Italy — the same country where they made their first and only previous appearance 20 years ago.
Germany will open their campaign on 7 March in Group A against Beijing 2022 bronze medallists China. Jan Malte Brelage, who helped Germany to a fifth-place finish at the Buffalo 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships, is one to watch in 2026.
Germany reached the semi-finals at Torino 2006 — will Italy once again be their lucky charm?
Japan’s Fukunishi breaks new ground
Akari Fukunishi becomes the fourth female Para ice hockey player to compete at the Paralympic Winter Games — and the first from Japan.
Norway’s Britt Mjaasund Oeyen was the first at Lillehammer 1994, followed by Norway’s Lena Schroeder at PyeongChang 2018 and China’s Yu Jing at Beijing 2022.
Fukunishi is set to make her Paralympic debut just over six months after competing in the inaugural Women’s World Championships in Dolny Kubin, Slovakia.
At that event, she played for Team World, a squad formed by athletes from nine countries that do not yet have their own women’s national teams.
Italy aim to shine in front of home crowd
Italy defeated Czechia for fifth place at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, finishing as the highest-ranked European squad. Four years later, the team hope to harness the power of the home crowd in their sixth Paralympic appearance.
Three Italian athletes — Gabriele Lanza, Alessandro Andreoni and Andrea Macri — are also working within the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, helping make the Games a success both on and off the ice.
Italy’s best Paralympic finish was fourth at PyeongChang 2018. Can they aim even higher at Milano Cortina 2026?
Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.
For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org
