BC Para Hockey athletes are thriving at the International level in 2024! In October, four BC athletes were selected to wear the Maple Leaf at International competitions – two with the Men’s National Para Hockey Team and two with the Women’s National Para Hockey program. 

Langley native, Brendon Hurst, and 17-year-old Vancouverite, Matteo Pellizzari, represented the Canadian National Para Hockey Team at the International Para Hockey Cup in Ostrava, Czechia. 

“It was incredible to represent Canada on the international stage in Czechia,” said Pellizzari, who is in his second year with the National Team Program. “It was an extremely competitive tournament, but also a ton of fun to be a part of. I had several technical and mental skills I really wanted to work on going into this tournament, and while I still have many, many, things to improve on I felt like I came out of this tournament as a better player which is all I can ask for.” 

The team finished the round robin with two wins and one loss. They narrowly defeated Czechia in the semi-finals with a 1-0 overtime thriller, setting up a gold medal match up against the United States. The Canadian team came home with a silver medal after a tightly contested final, which ultimately saw the United States come out with a 5-3 win. 

The next major event for the Men’s National Team is the Para Hockey Cup, taking place in Charlottetown, PEI from December 8-14, 2024. With only 16 months before the 2026 Paralympics, Pellizzari anticipates that the competition intensity will continue to grow in the coming months.

“Given our proximity to the Paralympics, I’m super excited for the competition to get more fierce, and to have to challenge myself to work harder on and off the ice.”

Read more about the IPH Cup results on the Hockey Canada website. 

On the women’s side, BC athletes Maggie Manning and Peggy Assinck traveled to Skien, Norway for the Women’s World Challenge. Goaltender Maggie Manning had a stellar performance throughout the weekend, posting two shutout wins against Team Pacific and Great Britain. 

“I had an unforgettable experience in Skien, Norway, with Team Canada. It was a truly special opportunity to travel across the globe and compete alongside such passionate women+ in elite para ice hockey,” Manning reflected.

After going 3-0 to start the tournament, the Canadian Team could not hold off the United States offense in the final, finishing the tournament with a 3-0 loss to capture the silver medal. The team has a lot to be proud of after facing significant adversity in the months leading up to the event.  

“I’m incredibly proud of the progress our team has made over the past year. We faced significant challenges, including our head coach’s cancer diagnosis and uncertainties around funding,” said Manning. “Nevertheless, we persevered, pushing ourselves both on and off the ice. In the end, we came together as a team and played better than ever before.”

To read more about the Women’s World Challenge, including coach Chisholm’s brave battle with cancer, visit the Canadian Paralympic Committee website. 

With their sights set on eventual inclusion of women’s para hockey at the Paralympic Games, the women’s program continues to grow and build momentum in Canada. Manning, who only became a goaltender a few years ago, has big goals in both her personal development and the development of the program:

“Looking ahead, I’m eager to further develop my skills as a goaltender with both Team BC and Team Canada. My ambition is to establish myself as one of the top female goaltenders in Canada, and I embrace every challenge that comes my way. I’m excited for the upcoming season and committed to advancing the women’s side of the sport!” 

Both Pellizzari and Manning are part of the BC Provincial Para Hockey program, which has helped them to reach the International level in para hockey. To learn more about the BC Provincial Para Hockey program, contact sportdevelopment@sportabilitybc.ca.