Moose Jaw, Sask., to be 1st Canadian host of World Para Ice Hockey Championship

Moose Jaw, Sask., is making sports history as Canada gets set to host the World Para Ice Hockey Championship for the first time. 

The top eight international Para hockey teams will compete at the Moose Jaw Events Centre from May 28 to June 4. The venue will host all 20 games, including the gold-medal contest of the series, which is organized by the International Paralympic Committee.

The 2023 tournament marks the largest Para hockey event in Canada since the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. 

"It has been so long since our family, friends and people in Canada have been able to watch our sport live, and I think that's the best way to see it," said Canadian captain Tyler McGregor. 

"As Para athletes that makes you feel so valued, and we're honoured that we get to play our sport in front of our home fans."

Canada's hosting milestone comes 27 years after the world championship began in 1996.

At the official announcement in Moose Jaw Monday, McGregor told reporters the team has talked about hosting for years. 

"Seeing the game live, I think, will give people a new level of appreciation and respect for how difficult the sport is and how fast and physical it really can be," McGregor said.

McGregor, who is from Forest, Ont., had his left leg amputated above the knee after receiving a spindle cell sarcoma diagnosis in 2010. He began playing Para hockey the following year with the London Blizzard, winning his first of 18 international medals with Team Canada in 2012. 

"You're seeing the best of the best in the world and regardless of what sport it is, I think there's a level of intrigue around that," he said. 

While there will be a quick turnaround for the event in late May, Moose Jaw city councillor Heather Eby said it's