(Photo: Stefano Rellandini)
MILAN, Italy — March 15, 2026 — On the final day of competition at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, the U.S. Para Ice Hockey team defeated Canada 6-2 to secure its fifth consecutive Paralympic gold medal. This victory completed a historic “triple gold” for American hockey in 2026, following the Olympic wins by both the U.S. men’s and women’s teams earlier in February.
The final was defined by a historic performance from Jack Wallace (Franklin Lakes, NJ), who scored a hat trick and provided an assist in front of a record-breaking crowd of over 10,000 fans. However, much of the team’s grit came from the Great Lakes region. Veterans Brody Roybal (Northlake, IL) and Josh Misiewicz (La Grange, IL) provided the veteran leadership that saw the Americans outscore their opponents 46-5 over the course of the tournament.
Among the new faces was 18-year-old defenseman Landon Uthke of Albert Lea, Minnesota. Making his Paralympic debut, the high school senior contributed two assists during the preliminary rounds and provided a steady defensive presence in the gold medal final. For Uthke, the journey to the podium began after a lawnmower accident led to a leg amputation at age three; he discovered sled hockey at age seven and trained with the Minnesota Wild sled program before making the national roster.
“I was super excited,” Uthke said of the win. “It’s my first gold medal, but it’s a team effort. We have a great group of guys—it’s a good brotherhood.” Uthke returns to Albert Lea High School this week to finish his senior year as an international champion.
Fun Fact: Sled hockey is played on standard ice rinks, but players sit in specialized double-blade sleds and use two shortened sticks. These sticks have a “blade” end for handling the puck and a “pic” end with metal teeth to propel the player across the ice. Uthke played alongside his close childhood friend and fellow Minnesota teenager, Liam Cunningham, marking the first time in 20 years that two Minnesotans have shared a U.S. Paralympic sled hockey roster.