Taping Para (Sledge) Hockey Sticks: What We Know

Para hockey, also called sledge hockey in Canada and sled hockey in the US, is ice hockey played sitting in a sled. At the 2026 Paralympics in Milan, the US beat Canada 6-2 in the gold-medal game, according to Hockey Canada.

The sticks are different, so the tape job is too. This article sets out what the sources confirm. We found much less published about taping para sticks than about ice hockey sticks, and we say where the record runs out.

The sticks

• Two of them. Every player uses two sticks, one in each hand, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey both say.
• Blade on one end, pick on the other. The curved blade handles and shoots the puck. The metal pick on the other end digs into the ice to push and steer the sled.
• Short. Hockey Canada describes them as 75 cm long. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) gives a maximum of 1 m.
• Small blades. The IPC sets a maximum blade length of 32 cm, or 39 cm for goalies.
• Made of composite. The IPC says carbon fibre or fibreglass. Hockey Canada describes laminated fibreglass sticks with angled picks.
• Pick rules. Picks need at least six teeth, each up to 4 mm long, with no sharp point, and they may not stick out more than 1 cm beyond the end of the stick, the IPC says.
• Goalies. A goalie may add a pick at the base of the stick, or use a second bladed stick or a trapper glove with teeth, according to Hockey Canada. USA Hockey says goalie gloves can have picks sewn into the back.

What the rules say about tape

The IPC says para ice hockey follows IIHF rules with modifications. IIHF Rule 10.1 allows adhesive tape of any colour to be wrapped anywhere on a player’s stick, for reinforcement or puck control.

We could not find a para-specific tape clause in the IPC or Hockey Canada pages we read. The USA Hockey rulebook has an appendix of rules for disabled hockey, including sled hockey, that we were not able to review for this article. Treat any rule beyond the IIHF wording as unconfirmed, and check with your league or club.

How taping differs

There is no published taping guide for para sticks that we could find. What follows is what the stick design suggests, not a documented standard.

The blade

The blade does the same job as on an ice hockey stick: handling and shooting the puck. Players can tape it the same way. Because the blade is shorter, a full wrap uses less tape. Our tutorials and overlap guide apply.

The pick end

• Keep tape off the teeth. The teeth have to grip the ice to move the sled. Tape over them would get in the way.
• Do not build a knob over the pick. A para stick has no free top end for a knob; that end is the pick.

The grip

Each hand holds a stick and pushes off with it, so the grip area takes a lot of wear. Grip tape or cloth tape on the shaft where the hand sits is a natural choice. We could not find a source on how elite para players set this up. If you know an equipment manager or coach in para hockey, theirs is the best advice.

Two sticks, one look

Players use a pair, so tape both the same way. Different tape on each blade gives each hand a different feel.

Safety

• Check the picks. The IPC limits pick length and bans sharp points. Do not file, add to or wrap the picks in a way that changes them. A club or equipment manager should handle pick repairs.
• Do not tape over cracks. Blade Tech Hockey says cracks in a composite stick are structural damage. Tape does not fix them. Replace the stick.
• Cut tape away from you. If you cut tape near the pick, keep the blade of your knife pointed away from your body and your hands, and clear of the teeth.

Getting started

Hockey Canada’s para hockey pages link to provincial programs across Canada, and USA Hockey runs sled hockey programs in the US. Ask a local club about trying the equipment before you buy. For more on the sport’s history: the IPC says it was invented at a Stockholm rehabilitation centre in the early 1960s and became an official Paralympic event in 1994.