Melissa Donovan 
The USA Sled Hockey team made history on Sunday in their 6-2 gold medal win over Canada during the final day of competition at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic Games. Sled hockey is a fast-paced, full-contact Paralympic sport that shares most of the rules of ice hockey, except for some of its equipment.
With their victory, they became the first hockey team in the Olympics or Paralympics to win five back-to-back titles. Their gold-medal performance adds to a historic year for Team USA, as the trifecta was completed: the men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams also took home gold over neighboring rival Canada on the same ice just three weeks earlier.
Two of the players on the successful Sled Hockey team are from Florida, bringing a little more pride to the Sunshine State as the Winter Games come to a close.
Brett Bolton, Sled Hockey
From Rockledge on Florida’s Space Coast, Brett Bolton represented Team USA in his Paralympic debut at the Milano Cortina Games. He helped the team by scoring five points throughout the tournament, showcasing the roster’s scoring ability.
The 19-year-old grew up a fan of the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, and was introduced to sled hockey at 8 years old through his local team, the Space Coast Blast. Bolton has Gold and Silver medals through his experience in World Championships.
Bolton is also a sophomore at the University of Colorado, where he is double-majoring in accounting and finance and minoring in leadership.
Declan Farmer, Sled Hockey
Born a bilateral amputee, sled hockey player Declan Farmer was introduced to the sport when he was 8 years old at a clinic in Florida. Eight years later, the Tampa native would make his Paralympic debut at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Scohi where he helped Team USA become the first sled hockey team to win back-to-back Paralympic titles.
In the two following Paralympics, Farmer would lead Team USA to two more gold medals, creating an unprecedented four straight title streak. He has received recognition as the 2023 Para Sport Award for Best Male Winter Athlete by the International Paralympic Committee and is the first U.S. sled hockey player to score over 200+ career goals.
In Milano Cortina, Farmer was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), as he scored 26 points in five games, setting a new record for the most points scored in a single Paralympic Winter Games. He was also named Best Forward by the tournament’s directorate and voted Media Best Player.
As the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games end, the anticipation builds for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
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