Hockey Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee just announced its Paralympic sledge hockey roster for the 2018 Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, and Quesnel athlete James Gemmell made the team.
Gemmell, 37, was also on the Canadian Paralympic sledge hockey team in 2014, and holds a bronze medal from the Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
The team roster was finalized today (Feb. 11) at noon ET in Toronto.
Gemmell, a defenseman, has been playing on the national sledge hockey team since September 2017, when he was chosen for the 2017/18 team after a selection camp in Calgary.
Seventeen players were then selected from the national team to represent Canada in South Korea.
“Everyone wants one of those spots. But the competition among ourselves makes the team better in the long run,” Gemmell told the Observer in September.
READ MORE: Paralympic medallist named to national sledge hockey team for second time
The team held its final training camp last week in Ontario.
Head coach Ken Babey said: “All 20 players on our national team have shown their commitment and dedication through this process. They have been focused on their training regime, putting us in the best possible shape to represent our country and bring home a gold medal.”
When he’s not competing on the national stage, Gemmell owns and operates K9 Boarding Kennels in Quesnel. He also helps run a local sledge hockey fun league.
Gemmell is the only national sledge hockey team member from British Columbia.
The 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games take place March 9-18.
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