The man who is tasked with selecting the host cities year after year for the tournament, O'Connor says Nashville is making quite an impression on the sled hockey community.
"I'm super excited to be here in Nashville," O'Connor said. "We've seen what Troy has done with the Sled Preds, and the support the Predators have given, and Nashville is a great city to visit, so it was an easy choice to have this classic come here. And I have to tell you, so far, they are above and beyond organized, more than most cities that we've ever had any sort of tournament in."
USA Hockey President Jim Smith was also in town to take in the action, a branch of the sport he's seen grow tremendously in recent years in cities all over the country.
"They're equivalent to any other athlete in any other sport, so people don't treat them any differently," Smith said. "Once they get on the ice, they're as competitive as anybody else. A lot of people think all the disabled may have a physical or cognitive disability, but once they get on the ice, in this sport in particular, there's something unique about hockey compared to all other sports… Everybody's a family."
No matter the circumstances, whether they've fought for their country in foreign lands or simply come from small-town America, they've all hit the ice because they love the game. And while the competitive nature undoubtedly comes out when the puck is dropped, there's something more important in these games, in this branch of the sport, than just winning and losing.
"The game has really been very good to me; it's given a lot to me, so it's my way of giving back to the game and staying involved with the game that I love," O'Connor said. "Although I don't play, I live vicariously through these players and through the smiles and the enjoyment of everybody that's involved. It's everything to me."
All games during the Seventh Annual USA Hockey Sled Classic are held at Ford Ice Center and are free of charge to the public. For a full schedule, statistics and tournament results, click here.
For more information on the Sled Preds, visit their website here. Or to learn more about USA Hockey Disabled Hockey Programs, click here.