Ann Cody helps kickoff 2008 Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships

Palaestra, Spring, 2008

Ann Cody, BlazeSports Director of Partnerships and Public Policy, officially kicked off the 2008 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships in Boston with a ceremonial puck drop at the Bruins-Maple Leafs game on March 25. Cody, an IPC Governing Board member, accompanied by former Bruin Willie O'Ree declared the Championships open before a capacity crowd at the TD Banknorth Garden. Organized by Massachusetts Hockey in co-operation with U.S. Paralympics, around 200 athletes from ten countries participated in the World Championships which ran through April 5.

Ice Sledge Hockey is practiced in approximately 15 countries worldwide and is governed by the IPC. It follows the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) with minor modifications to eligibility, sports equipment, and officiating rules. Instead of skates, players use two-blade sledges that allow the puck to pass beneath. They also have sticks with a spike-end for pushing and a blade-end for shooting.