# Sled Hockey Breaks New Ground at the 2026 Amerigol LATAM Cup

**By Petra Nowak**  \nPublished August 3, 2026  \nUpdated August 3, 2026

> As 1,500 players gather for the eighth annual Amerigol LATAM Cup, a new sled hockey showcase aims to spark international programs and drive toward future Paralympic inclusion.

When the Amerigol LATAM Cup returned to South Florida for its eighth annual tournament, the expansion went far beyond adding geographic representation. Spanning venues at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs and the Palm Beach Skate Zone in Wellington, this year’s competition features approximately 1,500 athletes across 68 teams representing 16 countries and territories, including historic debuts for Filipino American squads. Yet the structural evolution that signals a profound shift in the tournament's mandate sits on the ice during the opening weekend: the inaugural sled hockey showcase.

Guided by mentors Brett Bolton, Greg Shaw, and Madeleine Gallagher, the sled hockey showcase arrived on August 1 and 2 to introduce adaptive hockey to an international audience that spans non-traditional hockey markets across Latin America, the Caribbean, and beyond. For tournament organizers, the integration of sled hockey is an intentional step toward structural development rather than a mere exhibition.

The ultimate goal, according to Amerigol International Hockey Association Founder and President Juan Carlos Otero, is to entice participating LATAM Cup countries to establish domestic sled hockey programs capable of competing on the global stage, with eyes firmly set on the Paralympics. That ambition relies heavily on direct exposure in regions where adaptive ice sports are rarely seen in person.

*“To be able to grow the sport, it’s amazing to get eyes out there and be able to just bring focus to people who probably haven’t seen it,”* said Greg Shaw, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist from the 2010 and 2014 Games who attended the showcase nhl.com. *“Maybe they’ve seen it on TV, but being able to see it in person is a whole different thing.”*

The weekend held particular significance for Madeleine Gallagher, a Space Coast player and Palm Bay, resident who won gold with the U.S. team at the inaugural World Para Hockey Women’s World Championship in Dolny Kubin, Slovakia. Women's sled hockey faces a specific hurdle in its path to the Paralympic program: an insufficient number of active international playing nations to qualify. With national squads from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Norway, Australia, and a multi-national Team World having contested the 2025 global championship, expanding the talent pool globally is essential.

*“Whether they're Latin American or any other countries, we’re just looking for more players to be able to make it to the Paralympics because that’s our end goal right now,”* Gallagher noted nhl.com.

Backed by the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association through their Industry Growth Fund, and foundational contributions from the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars, the tournament provides free public admission and live streaming via Amerigol Hockey TV. As the event splits its calendar—running the men’s senior, women’s division two, and youth select divisions from August 1 to 4, followed by men's divisions one and two, women's division one, and U12 Legacy through August 9—the inclusion of the sled hockey showcase embeds an accessible pathway for future international competitors right at the heart of hockey’s non-traditional expansion.

## Sources

- [thehockeynews.com](https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/amerigol-latam-cup-returns-to-florida-panthers-iceden-for-eighth-year) — original
- [sglinski](https://www.palmbeachsports.com/amerigol-latam-cup-showcases-the-global-growth-of-hockey/) — original
- [socketnews.info](https://socketnews.info/news/2026-amerigol-latam-cup-sets-stage-for-cultural-celebration/) — original
- [nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/news/sled-hockey-debuts-at-2026-amerigol-latam-cup) — original