CAREGIVER • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2020 • 5
FACING OFF
Close to 160 teams are expected
to compete in Pittsburgh
in six disciplines: Sled Hockey,
Blind Hockey, Deaf/Hard of
Hearing Hockey, Warrior Hockey,
Standing/Amputee Hockey
and Special Hockey.
Pittsburgh was chosen to host
this year’s event for a number of
reasons.
“First, Pittsburgh’s just a great
city,” O’Connor said. “I’ve been
to Pittsburgh several times, and
I’ve just always really loved it.
It’s a great hockey city, obviously
with the Pittsburgh Penguins
having a lot of success, so it
started with being just a great
city.”
Humphreys and the Mighty
Penguins sled hockey program
also hosted the USA Hockey
Sled Classic in 2013 and then
the First Annual Blind Hockey
International Series Tournament
between the United States
and Canada as well as USA
Hockey’s first Special Hockey
Classic for more than 300 athletes
with cognitive and intellectual
disabilities in 2018.
The success of those events
also helped make the decision
to bring USA Hockey’s largest
annual festival to the Steel City.
Recent host cities have included
Tampa, Fla.; Chicago; and
San Jose, Calif.
All games will be held at the
UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex
in Cranberry Township,
the RMU Island Sports Center
at Neville Island and the Baierl
Ice Complex in Warrendale.
For local families, the chance
to stay home and take part in
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