Buffalo, USA to host 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool

World Para Ice Hockey, the global governing body for the fastest-paced Paralympic winter sport, has announced the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool will take place in Buffalo, New York in the USA from 24-31 May, 2025. 

Hosted in conjunction with USA Hockey, the world’s top eight teams will compete in the event, with the top five finishers earning qualification spots for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. 

“We are thrilled to be returning to the USA for the first time in a decade with our premier event, the World Championships A-Pool,” said Michelle Laflamme, World Para Ice Hockey Manager. “This edition of the tournament will be more important than ever, as national teams vie for coveted spots at the Paralympic Winter Games, so fans and viewers can expect the most exciting Para ice hockey we’ve seen to date as teams battle it out on the ice.”

“We’re excited to welcome the world in hosting the World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool this May,” said Pat Kelleher, Executive Director of USA Hockey. “We’re grateful for the support of the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo-Niagara Sports Commission, and know the city of Buffalo and LECOM Harborcenter will provide a first-class experience that both the teams and fans will enjoy.”

The 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championship is coming to Buffalo!

This eight-nation tournament, showcasing the world's top sled hockey players, will be held from May 24–31 at the LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, N.Y.

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) November 26, 2024

It will mark the first time in a decade and fourth in history the U.S. plays host to the event. The tournament will take place at the LECOM Harborcenter, the same venue that hosted the 2015 World Championships A-Pool, and which is home to Buffalo’s NCAA Division I hockey team as well as the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. 

Participating teams in order of world ranking include Canada, USA, Czechia, China, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Norway and Germany. While the top five finishers will earn their spots at the next Paralympics, the bottom three finishers will be forced to compete at the Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament that will take place later in 2025. The bottom two teams will also be relegated to the B-Pool for the following season. 

The tournament will consist of round-robin play in the group stage followed by playoffs and a medal round.

At the most recent World Championships A-Pool in May, Canada upset top-seeded USA to win gold on its home ice after three straight runner-up finishes against its arch-rivals. Canada went undefeated in Calgary en route to gold, outscoring its opponents 38-3, capped off by a 2-1 win over USA in the gold-medal game. In doing so, Canada became only the third team to win an A-Pool gold medal on its home ice, joining Sweden (1996) and the USA (2015). 

Canada or USA has won every world title dating back to 2008, with USA holding the all-time record with six.