Three players, one shared dream: a Paralympic women’s Para ice hockey tournament
https://www.paralympic.org/news/three-players-one-dream-paralympic-women-para-ice-hockey-tournament
ⒸJames Fearn/Getty Images for IPC
By World Para Ice Hockey
Three female Para ice hockey players came together at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games to reflect on the past, present and future of women’s Para ice hockey on International Women’s Day this Sunday (8 March).
Their shared dream: to compete in a women’s tournament at a future Winter Paralympics – ideally, as early as at the French Alps 2030.
Team Japan defender Akari Fukunishi joined Erica McKee (USA) and Stacey Quirk (Great Britain), both World Para Ice Hockey (WPIH) Athletes’ Committee representatives, alongside WPIH Senior Manager Michelle Laflamme and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Vice-President John Petersson, at a press conference at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
All three athletes competed at last year’s inaugural Women’s World Championships in Dolny Kubin, Slovakia. McKee captained Team USA to the title, Quirk led Team Great Britain to fourth place, and Fukunishi represented Team World – a roster of players from nine nations that do not have yet their own women’s national team.
But at Milano Cortina 2026, Fukunishi is the only woman to have appeared on the ice – in the line-up of Team Japan’s opening game against Czechia on Saturday (7).
“Yesterday, it was exciting to be on the ice but, at the same time, quite a pity that there are so few female players in the world,” Fukunishi said.
“From this opportunity at the Paralympic Games, I expect more Japanese female players to start ice hockey. I hope to come back in 2030 as a member of a Japan female team.”
For Quirk, being at the Paralympic Para ice hockey venue brings mixed emotions.
“It’s great to see the guys go out and do their thing and, at the same time, it’s quite sad to see that women don’t have the same opportunities. It’s quite bittersweet.
“I look forward to the day when there are more women on the ice. As a young girl or as a female, (they can say) 'I can be there too'. That’s what we need: 2030 – that’s the goal.”
McKee, who lifted the world title with USA, said the Paralympic dream has driven her since childhood.
“My goal since I was nine years old was to be in the Paralympics, and I’m still fighting for that goal. Hopefully, it’s in 2030.”
“It was so fun to play against all these amazing female athletes [at the Women’s World Championships]. I’ve always grown up playing in men’s teams, and when I was able to finally be around awesome female athletes, it was even better.”
