These athletes will represent NC in the 2026 Winter Olympics. One’s only 19
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- Kayden Beasley, 19, will compete for the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team in Italy.
- Beasley played in last year’s World Para Ice Hockey Championships, where USA won gold.
- Five Hurricanes players will represent four countries at the Winter Games.
A standout athlete from North Carolina is gearing up for a milestone moment as he prepares to compete with the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team at the Winter Paralympics in Italy this year.
At just 19 years old, Kayden Beasley from Coats, North Carolina (about 30 miles south of Raleigh) will make his first Paralympic appearance. Born with congenital bilateral amputations and adopted at age three, Beasley found his passion for sled hockey with the Carolina Hurricanes Sled Hockey program in 2019, according to his Team USA profile.
He debuted for the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team in international competition last year in the World Para Ice Hockey Championships, where Team USA captured gold.
How to watch the Winter Olympics
Sled hockey matches will take place from Saturday, March 7 to Sunday, March 15 and end with the gold medal game, NBC says.
The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony aired 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, with an enhanced primetime presentation later that evening, giving fans multiple opportunities to watch the festivities as the Games officially begin.
Viewers in North Carolina can watch the Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics across NBCUniversal’s platforms, with events airing on NBC, USA Network, and other NBC-owned channels.
Live streams, full replays, and highlights will also be available on Peacock, which will serve as the primary streaming home for both Games.
Carolina Hurricanes players in the Olympics
Five Carolina Hurricanes players are set to represent four different countries in the Winter Games, The News & Observer reported.
Frederik Andersen and Nikolaj Ehlers will compete for Denmark, Jaccob Slavin will suit up for Team USA, Sebastian Aho will represent Finland and Seth Jarvis will skate for Canada.
Chip Alexander’s reporting contributed to this story.
