Hockey's Hidden Gods

The Untold Story of a Paralympic Miracle on Ice

S. C. Megale

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
• Year: 2022
• eBook ISBN:
  9781538166659
• Edition: 1

A Library Journal Best Arts & Humanities Book 2022

The extraordinary true story of the U.S. sled hockey team that overcame physical adversity and internal strife to win Paralympic gold.
When former NHL star Rick Middleton accepted the position of head coach for the United States sled hockey team, he wasn't sure what to expect. The program had never medaled—had never even come close, in fact. But where Middleton might have found despair, he instead found an incredible group of men who had battled their way back from hell to play the sport they love.
In Hockey's Hidden Gods: The Untold Story of a Paralympic Miracle on Ice, S.C. Megale uncovers the remarkable tale of a team that shocked the world by taking U.S. sled hockey from worst to first in the 2002 Paralympics. Odds of winning were dismal. The road to victory seemed unfathomable. But this cast of fifteen athletes with disabilities, athletes who had helped build a groundbreaking U.S. sled hockey program with almost no outside support, ultimately persevered on the global stage.
Featuring a fascinating history of sled hockey, exclusive interviews with players and coaches, action-packed game coverage, and intimate profiles sharing the players' personal journeys, Hockey's Hidden Gods is the uplifting story of how once-shattered dreams can be reborn and rebuilt through tenacity, grit, and an indomitable spirit.

Table of contents

• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• Key for Player Stats
• Chapter 1: Lake of Legend: Sled Hockey’s History, Rules, and Equipment
• Chapter 2: Manny Guerra Jr., #67: “Junior”
• Chapter 3: Nagano
• Chapter 4: Joe Howard, #23: “Momo”
• Chapter 5: Gathering the Team
• Chapter 6: Sylvester Flis, #4: “Sly”
• Chapter 7: Training Champions
• Chapter 8: Patrick Byrne, #14
• Chapter 9: Arriving in Salt Lake City: March 1, 2002
• Chapter 10: Dave Conklin, #20: “Ice Man”
• Chapter 11: Game One—USA vs. Japan: March 8, 2002
• Chapter 12: Chris Manns, #44
• Chapter 13: Game Two—USA vs. Canada: March 9, 2002
• Chapter 14: Josh Wirt, #19
• Chapter 15: Game Three—USA vs. Norway: March 11, 2002
• Chapter 16: Brian Ruhe, #2: “The Ruhester”
• Chapter 17: Kip St. Germaine, #12
• Chapter 18: Game Four—USA vs. Sweden: March 12, 2002
• Chapter 19: Dan Henderson, #22: “Hondo”
• Chapter 20: Game Five—USA vs. Estonia: March 14, 2002
• Chapter 21: James Dunham, #7: “Diesel”
• Chapter 22: Pat Sapp, #33: “Lt. Dan.”
• Chapter 23: The Storm before the Storm
• Chapter 24: Gold Medal Game—USA vs. Norway: March 15, 2002
• Chapter 25: Lonnie Hannah, #1
• Chapter 26: Matt Coppens, #5
• Chapter 27: Jack Sanders, #15
• Chapter 28: Aftermath
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Bibliography
• About the Author