Winter Paralympics 2026: Olympic hockey heartbreaks inspire Canada captain Tyler McGregor’s Para ice hockey gold quest

Tyler McGregor is leading Canada’s pursuit for gold at Milano Cortina 2026 – with help from his Canadian hockey peers.

The Para ice hockey team are going for a first Paralympic gold medal in 20 years after consecutive Games ending with silver. They are on the right track, having topped their preliminary round group to advance to the semi-finals in Milan.

That comes a few weeks after the Winter Olympics took place on the same ice, where both Canadian ice hockey teams were beaten in overtime finals. With that, there is extra motivation for victory, coupled with inspiration from their compatriots.

“We watched both the men's and women's hockey games gold medal games and they were both heartbreakers,” McGregor tells Olympics.com. “I was talking to a few of the women last week actually, before we got started here and honestly [I'm] so proud of those teams.

“Both of those were hockey at its best. They were played with so much heart, so much sacrifice, belief. [It] didn't end up in our favour, but we took a lot of inspiration from them, especially since we've got to know them on a personal level.”

Canada have a day off – which also happens to be McGregor’s 32nd birthday - ahead of their semi-final with the People’s Republic of China on Friday (13 March). If all goes to plan, this week could provide a double celebration for the captain.

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From Sochi 2014 to Milano Cortina 2026 – Tyler McGregor on embracing leadership

Twelve years have passed since McGregor competed at his first Winter Paralympics as a teenager at Sochi 2014. It is where he became an adult, literally and figuratively, as Canada came away with the bronze medal.

A former ice hockey player, the Ontarian broke his leg when he was 15 and was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. His leg had to be amputated, and in 2012, he made his debut with the Canadian Para ice hockey team.

“I certainly have changed over the past number of years since Sochi,” he says. “[I have] a better understanding of who I am and what drives me, the impact that I want to have in the world, the legacy that I want to leave.

“As an athlete, I'm someone who shows up and does whatever I possibly can to get better, but I also take pride in doing that with a lot of kindness, compassion and love for other people.”

The three-time Paralympic medallist has now reached the heights of captaincy; Milano Cortina 2026 are his second Paralympics sporting the ‘C’ on his jersey, as well as being named co-captain of the Canadian Paralympic Team in Italy.

McGregor is a natural choice for leadership roles: he works as a keynote public speaker off the ice, though that does not mean he is always necessarily delivering rousing speeches between periods.

He explains: “When the moment's right, I try to speak up, but we like to keep it really conversational in our room during intermissions, just make sure everyone stays loose, calm, composed. We're so invested in what we want to do, that's really what drives the conversation at intermissions to allow us to stay focused.”

McGregor's motto: ‘Simplify your life, but don’t simplify yourself’

McGregor aims to lead by example for the squad’s younger players, and he has certainly done that at Milano Cortina. Team Canada scored 26 times in the preliminary round, their captain standing tall as the top provider with 10 points.

But his leadership goes beyond the ice. The 32-year-old is a passionate advocate for growing the sport around the world and supported a Para ice hockey camp in Mexico.

As a cancer survivor, supporting young children affected by the illness is as paramount for McGregor as developing his sport. “Childhood critical illness, Para sport: those are really the reasons I do a lot of things,” says McGregor.

“I am who I am to try and ensure that in the future, I impact the next generations so that those young kids facing critical illnesses have the opportunity to play sport, pursue their dreams, live their lives in a healthy way like I've been fortunate enough to do.”

With an ever-growing status as a trailblazer in his field, Canada’s captain is always determined to inspire those around him while staying true to his own values. It links closely to his personal motto: ‘Simplify your life, but don’t simplify yourself’.

“That's about trying to simplify your process, your routine, not to overcomplicate, overthink things,” he says. “But that doesn't mean you can't have the ability to be creative, try new things, and continually learn and grow. I've always tried to live by that.”

As the pursuit for the gold medal continues, McGregor centres himself on the team’s ultimate motivation. “It stems from a love and passion for this sport,” he concludes, “and the people that we get to go on this journey with. The gold medal is the ultimate dream; it's something that we've all dreamed about for our entire lives.”

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