Teammates Liam Cunningham, Landon Uthke Set for Paralympic Sled Hockey Debut

Teammates Liam Cunningham, Landon Uthke Set for Paralympic Sled Hockey Debut

by Robert Brent

Liam Cunningham and Landon Uthke carry Minnesota pride and national honor into the Paralympic Games with Team USA sled hockey.

In just a few short days, 17-year-old Liam Cunningham will begin his quest for gold with the Team USA Sled Hockey team in the Paralympic Games. The Paralympian is originally from River Falls, Wisconsin, but currently resides in Minnesota as a student at St. Thomas Academy.

While Cunningham is one of the country’s elite athletes, his place in these games was never assured. In fact, at just five years old, it seemed like he may not be able to compete in contact sports again.

Liam Cunningham grew up in a hockey family. When he was young, he and his two older brothers were playing in the mites and squirts system where their father, Joseph Cunningham, coached. While Liam was already showing athletic promise as a big kid, his father noticed something with his leg.

“His left leg had a little angle to it. He couldn’t do what he could with his right leg. Then one day, I think it was at the beginning of hockey season, Liam said his shin was hurting,” Joseph Cunningham recalls. “The doctor took a look at the X-rays, and he says there are gray pockets all over his tibia and femur.”

While the Cunningham family initially worried it was cancer, a specialist identified the condition as fibrous dysplasia, a rare disorder where fibrous tissue replaces normal bone, resulting in fragility and fractures.

The diagnosis ended his standup hockey career and devastated the family. Still, Liam refused to let it keep him away from hockey. 

A Natural Talent on the Ice

Shortly after his diagnosis, Liam found sled hockey through the Hendrickson Foundation and Minnesota Wild Sled Hockey. Joseph Cunningham recalls how quickly Liam seemed to take to the game.

“He had really good hands when he started. He was tiny, just seven years old, but playing with kids a lot older. Eventually, he got stronger, and I’d say by the time he was ten, you could tell he was good,” Cunningham says. “He had a really good hockey sense, he was one of those kids who was strong for his age, and he was just a competitive nut job.”

By his early teens, Cunningham was already making inroads with Team USA. He was a member of the program’s development team before making his debut with the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team at the 2023 International Para Hockey Cup in Ostrava, Czechia. He was just 15 years old.

Two years later, he’ll be making his Paralympic debut with Team USA as the youngest player on the team. Though he’s the youngest on the team, Liam says he feels comfortable in his role.

“I think at this point I feel pretty established,” Liam said. “At this point, I’m focused on playing my role on the defensive side of the puck, but I hope to get more offensive in the next couple of years. But yeah, now I feel established in the room and really, like our team does such a good job with the younger guys and rookies to make him feel welcome and really part of the team.”

Liam has been with the U.S. National team for a couple of years now, so his inclusion on the Paralympic squad wasn’t a total surprise. Still, Liam says the moment he found out he’d be going to Italy was a special one.

“It was definitely very exciting…Obviously, a dream of mine since I started the sport,” Liam says. “So I was very excited and realized there was a lot of work to come.”

Playing Alongside a Teammate and Friend

Making the Paralympic team was a landmark moment in Cunningham’s life. It was made even more meaningful in mid-January when Team USA announced final additions to the roster. One of the final players added to the team was Landon Uthke, an Alberta Lea native. Cunningham and Uthke have been playing together for nearly a decade, starting on the Minnesota Wild Sled Hockey youth program. 

The two defenders have become very close friends during their time on the ice. Uthke spoke about their relationship and what it means to play in the Paralympics with Liam in an article for Minnesota Hockey.

“It’s also pretty special to be playing on the national team with Liam. We grew up playing together, and being on the national stage together is incredible,” Uthke said. “It gives me a sense of comfort to be on the team with someone I’ve known for so long.”

The pair are also the only two players on the team representing Minnesota. Uthke spoke in the same article about how much it means to exemplify the growth of the sport at home.

“It’s pretty cool to be representing Minnesota and Albert Lea,” Uthke said. “Sled hockey has grown tremendously over the last few years. It’s really fun to see the ice full of skaters at practice and all the new players joining the team.”

While the opportunity to represent Minnesota is a huge opportunity for Cunningham and Uthke, it’s even more important to the players to put on the stars and stripes jersey and represent their country. Liam spoke about the gravity of representing the USA in international competition.

“For sure it’s an honor. Getting to put on that jersey every time we go out there, there’s definitely a sense of pride that comes with that. especially getting to represent on such a big stage” Cunningham said. “It will be awesome getting to represent the best country in the world, so we’re all excited to do that.”

Fans can watch Liam Cunningham and Landon Uthke compete for the gold medal when the Paralympic Sled Hockey tournament kicks off on Saturday, March 7th.