BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON – A large contingent of disabled veterans will converge on SUNY Canton this weekend for the 12th annual Mountain Warriors Sled Hockey Tournament.

Three of the participating teams hail from Canada - Ottawa, Kingston and Durham from the Toronto area, and three U.S. teams from Buffalo, Syracuse and Fort Drum.The tournament will also feature a couple of Paralympians.

The sled hockey event was originated by Canton’s Mark McKenna who also serves as coach of the Fort Drum squad.

“I started this team 13 years ago when I was working out in a gym at Fort Drum and noticed a disabled soldier in a wheelchair having an equipment issue and left. I asked the manager if they had wheelchair basketball or sled hockey. They had neither. So I started to learn to play sled hockey trial days with the help of USA hockey who loaned me the sleds and St. Lawrence University, Clarkson University, SUNY Canton and Potsdam, and Syracuse University donated their used hockey equipment,” McKenna recalled.

“Then next year we formed a team and had our first home tourney. I could not do this without the support of VFW’s, Knights of Columbus, and many North Country businesses and general public who support our wounded soldiers and disabled athletes play an adaptive sport of sled(ge) hockey,” McKenna stated.

The action kicks off Friday with Syracuse Flyers facing off against Fort Drum at 8 a.m. The action concludes Sunday with the championship game at 10:30 a.m.

The schedule is as follows:

Friday, March 1: Buffalo Warrior Vets vs. Durham Steelhawks at 9:30 a.m.; Kingston Knights vs. Ottawa Senators at 10:55 a.m.; Durham vs. Fort Drum at 12:15 p.m.; lunch from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Buffalo vs. Kingston at 2:30 p.m.; Syracuse vs. Ottawa at 4 p.m.; and Durham vs. Kingst0n at 5:30 p.m.

Dinner will be served Friday from 6:30 to 10 p.m. for players, coaches, trainers, managers and family members at the Knights of Columbus, 30 Miner St., Canton.

Saturday, March 2: Syracuse vs. Buffalo at 8 a.m.; Fort Drum vs. Ottawa at 9:30 a.m.; Durham vs. Syracuse at 11 a.m.; Ottawa vs. Buffalo at 12:30 p.m.; lunch from 1 to 2:30 p.m.; Kingston vs. Fort Drum at 2:30 p.m.; Ottawa vs. Durham at 4 p.m.; Fort Drum vs. Buffalo at 5:15 p.m.; and Syracuse vs. Kingston at 6:45 p.m.

Dinner will be served Saturday from 6:30 to 10 p.m. for players, coaches, trainers, managers and family members at the Edward C. Seymour Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1231, 34 Gouverneur St., Canton.

Sunday, March 3: Breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. at SUNY Canton; consolation game at 9 a.m.; and the championship game at 10:30 a.m.

There is no admission charge although donations will be accepted at the door.