The latest chapter of the U.S.-Canada rivalry is expected to unfold at the World Para Ice Hockey Championship, starting Saturday and live on Peacock from Buffalo, New York.
The U.S. is the four-time reigning Paralympic champion, but last year Canada won the world title, snapping a streak of more than 20 consecutive losses to the Americans.
Declan Farmer, the most prolific scorer in U.S. history with more than 200 goals, said the U.S.-Canada rivalry had been “a little dormant” for a few years during the American domination.
Not anymore. Canada also won the teams’ most recent meeting on March 29. At worlds, they’ll face off in the May 31 final should each team top its group and win its semifinal.
“(Now) there’s full butterflies beforehand,” said Farmer, who made his Paralympic debut in 2014 at age 16. “You’ve got to execute. You’ve got to get the job done. You have to be at your best to win. It’s not just about showing up anymore, which is a good, healthy place to be.”
Already this year, Canada beat the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off final in men’s hockey in February. In April, the U.S. beat Canada in the IIHF World Championship final in women’s hockey. Both games went to overtime.
In Para hockey, Canada has rebuilt since a 5-0 loss in the 2022 Paralympic final.
“Some of the younger guys that (weren’t) really quite ready to compete against us line for line, where they just need a couple years to come along, and now they’re making some progress,” Farmer said. “I think it’s really as simple as that, and we just kind of have to keep matching their pace of improvement.”
2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championship Schedule
| Day | Game | Time (ET) | Platform |
| Sat., May 24 | USA-Norway | 1:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Sun., May 25 | USA-Slovakia | 1:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Tue.,. May 27 | USA-Czechia | 1:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Fri., May 30 | Semifinal 1 | 1:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Fri., May 30 | Semifinal 2 | 5 p.m. | Peacock |
| Sat., May 31 | Bronze-Medal Game | 12:30 p.m. | Peacock |
| Sat., May 31 | Gold-Medal Game | 4 p.m. | Peacock |
