Paul Rosen
Encyclopedia
Paul Rosen is a Canadian sledge hockey
goalie and motivational speaker from Thornhill, Ontario
. Rosen suffered a leg injury during a hockey game as a youth, and the resulting damage, infections and pain to his leg plagued him for years until his lower leg was amputated at age 39. During rehabilitation, Paul turned his sights towards sledge hockey, made the Canadian National Sledge hockey team, and participated in the 2002
and 2006 Winter Paralympics
. Rosen was the oldest rookie in the history of the Paralympic Winter Games when he made his debut at 41. At the 2006 Games in Torino, Rosen and the Canadian team won the sledge hockey gold medal.
In January 2007, Rosen made headlines across Canada when his Paralympic gold medal was stolen during an autographing session with fans in Toronto
. After commentator Don Cherry told the thief to drop the gold medal in a mailbox during his Hockey Night in Canada
broadcast, the medal turned up at a postal sorting station in Toronto and was returned to Rosen. He announced his retirement from the Canadian ice sledge hockey team on September 7, 2010 (along with captain Jean Labonte, Todd Nicholson
and Herve Lord).
Of note, Rosen also competed in sitting volleyball, another disabled sport. He became a member of Canada's sitting volleyball team at the 2007 Parapanamerican Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rosen was part of the first ever official international match for Canada's sitting volleyball team when they played the United States on Wednesday, August 15, 2007.
Sledge hockey
Sledge hockey is a sport that was designed to allow participants who have a physical disability to play the game of ice hockey. Ice sledge hockey was invented in the early 1960s in Stockholm, Sweden at a rehabilitation center...
goalie and motivational speaker from Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
. Rosen suffered a leg injury during a hockey game as a youth, and the resulting damage, infections and pain to his leg plagued him for years until his lower leg was amputated at age 39. During rehabilitation, Paul turned his sights towards sledge hockey, made the Canadian National Sledge hockey team, and participated in the 2002
2002 Winter Paralympics
The 2002 Winter Paralympics, the eighth Winter Paralympics, were held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, from March 7 to March 16, 2002. A total of 416 athletes from 36 nations participated....
and 2006 Winter Paralympics
2006 Winter Paralympics
The 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, the ninth Winter Paralympics, took place in Turin, Italy from 10 to 19 March 2006. These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy. They were also the first Paralympics to use the new paralympics logo....
. Rosen was the oldest rookie in the history of the Paralympic Winter Games when he made his debut at 41. At the 2006 Games in Torino, Rosen and the Canadian team won the sledge hockey gold medal.
In January 2007, Rosen made headlines across Canada when his Paralympic gold medal was stolen during an autographing session with fans in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. After commentator Don Cherry told the thief to drop the gold medal in a mailbox during his Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
broadcast, the medal turned up at a postal sorting station in Toronto and was returned to Rosen. He announced his retirement from the Canadian ice sledge hockey team on September 7, 2010 (along with captain Jean Labonte, Todd Nicholson
Todd Nicholson
Todd Nicholson is a member of the 2010 Paralympic Sledge Ice Hockey team. This is the fourth Paralympic games that Nicholson has participated in...
and Herve Lord).
Of note, Rosen also competed in sitting volleyball, another disabled sport. He became a member of Canada's sitting volleyball team at the 2007 Parapanamerican Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rosen was part of the first ever official international match for Canada's sitting volleyball team when they played the United States on Wednesday, August 15, 2007.
Career stats
The goaltender spent nine seasons with the Canadian national ice sledge hockey team. By the end of his career, he would accumulate a won loss record of 55-15-1. In addition, he registered a 1.04 goals-against average and 25 shutouts in 72 career games.Hockey Canada
| Year | Event | GP | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | W | L | T |
| 2007 | World sledge hockey championships | 4 | 153 | 4 | 1 | 1.57 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | World sledge hockey championships | 2 | 90 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | World sledge hockey championships | 3 | 141 | 3 | 2 | 1.28 | 2 | 1 | 0 |