North America’s best PowerHockey players will take-over Roy Wilkins Auditorium in downtown St. Paul July 21-24 as they compete for the coveted PowerHockey Cup. The bi-annual tournament organized by the North American PowerHockey Association (NAPHA) will feature the Calgary Selects, Carolina Fury, Michigan Mustangs, Minnesota Saints, Minnesota Selects, Ottawa Capitals, Philadelphia PowerPlay and Toronto Lake Raiders.
The Minnesota Saints enter the tournament as the back-to-back champions (2010 & 2012).
PowerHockey is a competitive and action-packed form of hockey for individuals who utilize a power wheelchair for daily mobility. The sport follows basic hockey rules with some adaptations for wheelchairs such as playing on a gym floor or sport court instead of on ice and using a whiffle ball instead of a puck.
The national tournament will begin with Opening Ceremonies at 1 p.m. on July 21. Pool play games will commence following the ceremonies and run through July 22. Quarterfinal and Semifinal games will take place on July 23. The tournament concludes on July 24 with the 5th Place game at 3 p.m., the 3rd Place game at 5 p.m. and the Championship at 7 p.m. The complete tournament schedule is available here.
Admission is free.
PowerHockey seeks to break down barriers associated with disability and sports. PowerHockey provides a competitive sports opportunity for persons not possessing the physical upper body strength needed to participate in other sports (such as wheelchair basketball, sled hockey, quad rugby, etc.). Participants not only get to be a part of a fast paced exciting program, they build life-long attributes such as teamwork, good sportsmanship, strategy, goal-setting, self-confidence and self-esteem.
The PowerHockey Cup is sponsored by Rollx Vans, Awesome Design, Ability Care Partners, Dynequip Inc, Thiele Technologies, and Impressions Incorporated.
For more information, visit PowerHockey Cup 2014.