Sled or sledge hockey is a true tribute to the human spirit. Its a definite statement on how you can’t keep a good man – or woman, down. Not willing to let having limited or no use of their legs led a group of Swedes in Stockholm to invent sled hockey during the early1960s. They loved the sport of hockey to the point that they couldn’t bear to give it up. In their minds, enough compromises had been made since not having the use of their legs, and they weren’t about to suffer another.
Originally, a group of driveway paving contractors, plumbers, electricians and landscapers had improved the sport when they decided to sponsor several charitable events to raise money which helped to pave the way for what would eventually become an international sport. The group began fashioning a body sled using two regular sized hockey skate blades and they positioned the blades on a metal frame far enough apart to allow a puck to slide through. Their makeshift hockey sticks were rounded poles with bike handles. Initially the team didn’t play with a goaltender or in a rink, but on a lake in the southern part of Stockholm.