American Amputee Hockey Association
Encyclopedia
The American Amputee Hockey Association (AAHA) is a non-profit sports organization founded in 2000 to develop opportunities for amputee and other disabled athletes to learn and play competitive hockey. The AAHA is a member of the Disabled Hockey Section of USA Hockey
and is working to promote a fun and safe environment for the growth of hockey in the United States and to lead the international effort to make Standing (Amputee) Hockey a Winter Paralympic Sport.
Amputee Hockey is identical to typical amateur ice hockey
, with the notable exception that the athletes are missing one or more of their upper or lower extremities. Competing with other amputees helps to increase self-esteem through participation in a fast-paced, exciting sport on a "level playing field", the hockey rink. Our motto "put your disability on ice" is designed to inspire amputees and other athletes to look beyond impairment and disability toward participation and improved performance in a competitive team sport.
2000, six US amputee skaters responded to an invitation to go to St. Petersburg, Russia to play an exhibition match against a group of Russian amputees during the World Ice Hockey Championship. Upon their successful return, the AAHA was formed. AAHA members began the effort to find, recruit and train amputee skaters throughout the US and Canada. In January 2001, the first Amputee Hockey Game was played in Saranac Lake , NY. In March
2002, Team USA played Team Canada in the "Silver Metal" Game during the Winter Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. In April 2002 the first World Amputee Hockey Championship was held in Finland with teams from Canada
, Finland
, Russia
, and the United States
.Team Canada
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
and is working to promote a fun and safe environment for the growth of hockey in the United States and to lead the international effort to make Standing (Amputee) Hockey a Winter Paralympic Sport.
Amputee Hockey is identical to typical amateur ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, with the notable exception that the athletes are missing one or more of their upper or lower extremities. Competing with other amputees helps to increase self-esteem through participation in a fast-paced, exciting sport on a "level playing field", the hockey rink. Our motto "put your disability on ice" is designed to inspire amputees and other athletes to look beyond impairment and disability toward participation and improved performance in a competitive team sport.
History
In MayMay
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.May is a month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere...
2000, six US amputee skaters responded to an invitation to go to St. Petersburg, Russia to play an exhibition match against a group of Russian amputees during the World Ice Hockey Championship. Upon their successful return, the AAHA was formed. AAHA members began the effort to find, recruit and train amputee skaters throughout the US and Canada. In January 2001, the first Amputee Hockey Game was played in Saranac Lake , NY. In March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
2002, Team USA played Team Canada in the "Silver Metal" Game during the Winter Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. In April 2002 the first World Amputee Hockey Championship was held in Finland with teams from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.Team Canada
- Team Russia
- Finnish Amputee Hockey Team
- Czech Republic National Team
- Team Latvia