The captain of the North American national Para ice hockey team is first and foremost a boy who dreamed of playing in his country's jersey
Imagine growing up in a place where sports - and hockey in this case - are much more than a child's play or a way to stay in shape: they are a religion. Kids and teenagers playing non-stop, for hours on end, in the cold of the Canadian winter, on frozen ice rinks, challenging each other in endless games that end only when the sun sets.
The purest nature of sport.
And the protagonist of our story is precisely one of those kids. A kid who watched the Sunday exploits of NHL champions like Sidney Crosby on TV, dreaming of replicating their exploits in stadiums packed with screaming crowds.
Unlike many others, Tyler McGregor succeeded at least in part in achieving his dream, by becoming the captain and symbol of the Canadian national Para ice hockey team.
This is his story, built with ethics, discipline and a hunger to become the best player of them all.
Behind the legend
Tyler was born in Forest, Ontario (CAN) on 11 March 1994. He grew up watching his sports idols on TV, and started skating when he was just 3. When he was just 11 or 12, he began to make his mark, dominating in the youth categories. That was until the age of 15, when everything changed.
In a game like many others, Tyler saw an opening to head decisively towards the net. At the last second, he collided with a defender: a barren sound and the thud on the ice. Then the race to the hospital with the diagnosis: fractured tibia and fibula. "A few months of work and I'll be back on my skates - Tyler thought confidently - It's a trivial injury, when you play hockey."
However, a few months later, the injury showed no signs of improvement, with doctors groping around in the dark. Further examinations led to a discovery that no 15-year-old boy would want to hear. McGregor was diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare bone tumour, and the only way out of it was amputating his leg.
A tremendous blow for a boy that age, with copious tears streaming down his face, and his dream of playing in the NHL shattered for good.
Vancouver 2010 and a new perspective
During his hospital stay, one of the few things that kept Tyler company was television. At that very time, Canadian TV was broadcasting the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics. Watching the exploits of those athletes opened up the prospect of a new future for McGregor.
Once he left the hospital, he tried to put his skates back on, aided by his new prosthesis, determined to continue playing. His coaches encouraged him to try Para ice hockey, explaining that many players - like him - had undergone similar surgeries. The first impact was frustrating, as difficult as it was to learn.
Unlike hockey, Para ice hockey involves great skill with both hands, as players must pass, shove and move on the ice using only the upper body.
However, the urge to compete and learn something new, coupled with the desire to get back on the field, was too strong, and from that point on, Tyler was bewitched. He therefore spent long hours in his garage, training to try and assimilate all the tricks he could to become a champion.
The first meeting with the national team and the Paralympic début
In the world of Para ice hockey, rumours run very fast from mouth to mouth, and news of a young prospect travels quickly to the right ears. Indeed, it took little more than six months before Kieran Block - one of the national team players - wrote directly to Tyler to ask him to train together at the Burlington Arena, not far from him.
In spite of the high level, Tyler managed to get himself noticed, thus snatching a call-up for the Canadian selection team the following autumn: the coach noticed his potential, and at 17, he became the youngest player in the national team.
His Paralympic début was at Sochi 2014, where McGregor got important minutes as the competition progressed, in a huge and surreal context for such a young athlete. Just 19 years old, during the Paralympics he gave his best, helping the team bring home the bronze medal, with a final record of 4 wins and 1 loss.
From PyeongChang 2018 to Milano Cortina 2026
After Sochi 2014, McGregor's skills continued to grow exponentially. After winning the 2017 World Championships, Canada managed to get a silver medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics, losing only in the final match to the United States.
Tyler McGregor, Canada, Para Ice Hockey, Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018
In 2019, his dreams came true: at only 23 years of age, Tyler earned his stripes as Captain of the Canadian national team. An indescribable thrill for the Forest native, but also an enormous responsibility. At Beijing 2022, another silver medal.
"Every time I receive a medal, I am shocked at how heavy it is compared to my days in the minor categories - he said recently in an interview with a local newspaper - My favourite part is sharing the medal with kids who have the same dream of pursuing a career in hockey. Whenever I can, I talk to young people in schools or arenas and organise events where children can get on ice and train with my sledge'.
Now the ultimate goal can only be one: to win the coveted gold medal. The road to Milano Cortina 2026 is mapped out, and he will try to get on the top step of the podium, just like he imagined in his childhood dreams.
