Five-time Paralympic champion Pauls leads retirement of decorated Team USA trio

The only five-time Paralympic gold medallist in Para ice hockey history, USA's Josh Pauls has announced his retirement from the national team alongside fellow four-time Paralymic champions Jen Lee and Kevin McKee.

Three of the most decorated athletes ever to play the sport, Pauls, Lee and McKee bring their international careers to a close after helping Team USA secure a fifth consecutive Paralympic title at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, extending a remarkable winning streak that began at Vancouver 2010.

Pauls also retires as a seven-time world champion, while McKee claimed six World Para Ice Hockey Championship titles and Lee won five world crowns.

"The U.S. National Sled Hockey Team will not be the same without Jen, Kevin and Josh," Team USA General Manager Dan Brennan told USA Hockey. "All three were unique and brought true professionalism, grit, humour and determination to our team both on and off the ice. Their leadership set the standard for all our current players moving forward."

Most decorated Paralympian

Defenceman Pauls retires as the only athlete in Para ice hockey history to win five Paralympic gold medals, having stood atop the podium at Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026.

He also represented Team USA at 10 World Para Ice Hockey Championships, winning seven gold medals at Ostrava 2009, Hamar 2012, Buffalo 2015, Ostrava 2019, Ostrava 2021, Moose Jaw 2023 and Buffalo 2025, in addition to three silver medals at Goyang 2013, Gangneung 2017 and Calgary 2024.

Appointed captain ahead of the 2017-18 season, Pauls led the United States to three Paralympic titles and four world championships while wearing the "C".

He retires from the national team with a programme-record 237 appearances across all competitions. His 142 career assists rank second in the national team history, while his 213 points (71G, 142A) are the third highest total by a Team USA player.

"To every teammate I've ever played with, I want to say thank you. No matter how much you think you've received from me, I guarantee I took more from you, and I learned way more from you than I was able to ever teach," Pauls said.

"The memories of sacrifice, joy, defeat and revelry will have me looking back at the last 18 years as some of the purest joy I've ever experienced."

At Beijing 2022, Pauls became the first Para ice hockey athlete to win four Paralympic gold medals. He added a historic fifth title in Milano Cortina this year, contributing nine points (2G, 7A) in five games. Across five Paralympic appearances, he totalled 30 points (6G, 24A) in 24 games.

After 14 years & nine gold medals with the U.S. Sled National Team, Jen Lee has announced his retirement 🇺🇸

A four-time Paralympic gold medalist & five-time World Champion, Lee leaves behind a legacy as one of Team USA’s all-time greats in net.

Read on: https://t.co/xyuq0IL4AU pic.twitter.com/orBd4nxHrp

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) September 23, 2026

USA's most successful goaltender

Goaltender Lee represented Team USA in 70 games across 13 seasons, winning Paralympic gold medals at Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026.

He was also part of world title-winning teams at Hamar 2012, Ostrava 2019, Ostrava 2021, Moose Jaw 2023 and Buffalo 2025, while earning silver medals at Goyang 2013 and Calgary 2024.

"I'm grateful to the coaching staff for sticking to their guns and believing in me all these years," Lee said. "I'm grateful for my teammates, not only as teammates, but as brothers and family. This is a forever bond no matter which journey we all decide to take after we are done playing. As a kid you dream to be an athlete or try to be part of a team and part of something big. I was able to do that, it's a dream come true."

Lee retires as Team USA's all-time leader in goals-against average (0.73) and save percentage (.899), compiling a career record of 50-2-0-3 across all competitions.

McKee departs after 16 seasons

Forward McKee concludes a 16-year national team career with 61 goals and 84 assists for 145 points in 184 appearances. All four totals rank among the top five in programme history.

A four-time Paralympic champion, McKee won gold medals at Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026. He also claimed six world titles at Hamar 2012, Buffalo 2015, Ostrava 2019, Ostrava 2021, Moose Jaw 2023 and Buffalo 2025, alongside silver medals at Goyang 2013, Gangneung 2017 and Calgary 2024.

"Thank you, Dan Brennan, for selecting a small-town boy from Iowa in 2010 and giving him a chance to live out his dream of playing on the national team," McKee told USA Hockey.

"I'm truly going to miss the amazing staff on this team and my teammates. I'm grateful for the memories we have made on and off the ice, and I will never take that for granted. It's been an honour to put on the USA Hockey jersey for the last 16 years."

McKee made his Paralympic debut at Sochi 2014 before enjoying a breakthrough performance at PyeongChang 2018, where he recorded eight points (2G, 6A) in five games as Team USA defended its title. He added an assist in two games at Beijing 2022 before overcoming injury to return for Milano Cortina 2026, scoring in his first game back.

Across four Paralympic Winter Games, McKee amassed 10 points (3G, 7A) in 12 appearances.

Team USA will begin a new era without its championship-winning trio when it travels to Ostrava, Czechia, to defend its world title at the 2027 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool from 1 to 8 May.