BURSTSmithers’ own Adam Kingsmill has been named to Team Canada’s roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games.
As a goaltender, Kingsmill only started playing para ice hockey in 2016. He had received an invitation to Hockey Canada’s NextGen Prospects Camp that year after coaches saw footage of him trying out for the Cariboo Cougars.
In 2021, he was one of four members on Team Canada to make his debut at the World Para Ice Hockey Championships held in Ostrava, Czechia.
Kingsmill, Jean-François Huneault and veteran Corbin Watson have been primarily sharing the goaltending duties for Canada since Dominic Larocque retired after the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Kingsmill was the back-up to Larocque at the 2022 Games.
At the 2024 World Championships, Kingsmill backstopped Canada to its first world title since 2017. He maintained the best goals against average in the tournament at 0.75 over five games with a .944 save percentage. He was Canada’s player of the game in the 2-1 gold medal match win over the Americans
Kingsmill grew up in Smithers in a goalie family, following his father and brother.
His accident occurred at age two, when he was outside running around in his rubber boots in the rain when he tried to race a lawn mower. Kingsmill slipped and fell, and that’s when he lost his leg.
Kingsmill grew up skating and playing hockey on a prosthetic leg, learning to skate on a backyard pond within months of his amputation. When he switched to para hockey, Kingsmill quickly adapted his technical foundation to the para game.
The 2026 Paralympic Winter Games take place March 6-15 in Italy.