Photo courtesy Hockey Canada
Canada’s men’s para ice hockey team advanced to the semifinals of the Beijing Paralympics last night against Korea, a team they beat 6-0 earlier in the week thanks to a hat-trick from Wallacetown’s James Dunn.
We talked with Dunn in Beijing about the return match and he indicated they are very familiar with the Korean team.
The familiarity must have payed off, with Canada recording a 11-0 shut out over South Korea to advance to the gold medal game. Dunn recorded 2 assists in the victory to help move them in position to face either Team China or USA for gold Saturday. (Puck drop 10:50 p.m. ET)
Four years ago, Dunn was the youngest player at age 17 to ever represent Canada on the para ice hockey team when he competed at the PyeongChang Paralympics.
Canada lost to the U.S. in the gold-medal game. Four years later in Beijing, Dunn and his teammates are gunning for gold.
Dunn says not matter who Canada plays, it’s all about bringing your ‘A’ game.
For those not familiar with the game, it is extremely physical, as Dunn can attest.
Last summer, he broke his leg in the opening game of the 2021 world championships in the Czech Republic when he was hit in awkward fashion by a sled.
Dunn and the team have come a long way in the four years since the PyeongChang Paralympics.
He has been on the road for almost two months in preparation for the Beijing Games and Dunn says he appreciates the support from family and friends back home in Canada.
He graduated from Georgian College and when the games are over, his attention will turn to pursuing a career in sports administration or a related field.
In 2011, Dunn was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer in his right leg.
He took up para ice hockey in 2013 and a year later he joined the London Blizzard Sledge Hockey Club.
Four years later, he was a silver medalist with Team Ontario at the Canadian Sledge Hockey Championship.
Written by Ian McCallum
