Knoch rising senior Kristofer Robinson completes accomplished sled hockey and track seasons

By: Matthew Purucker
Saturday, July 26, 2025 | 9:00 PM

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Regardless of whether Kristofer Robinson is on the track, in the field or on the ice, the Knoch rising senior is an athlete who wins on a regular basis.

In just sled hockey, the two teams Robinson played for during the 2024-25 season combined for multiple championships, and Robinson was a key part of their collective success.

A major highlight of his sled hockey season was during the USA Hockey Sled Tier I Youth National Championship in Coral Springs, Fla. In the May 3 title game, the two-way defenseman scored a hat trick to propel the Mighty Penguins Junior Black team to a 7-1 national championship triumph.

“One of my favorite memories in hockey might be the final two minutes of championship games, where these last moments are the most important because one mistake in the defense may turn the game around,” Robinson said. “I get a hit of adrenaline during these moments because I am counting down the seconds until the buzzer sounds.”

Robinson is a versatile defenseman. He can handle the puck and contribute on offense while shutting down opposing forwards in the defensive end. As an alternate captain, Robinson did whatever he could to help lead the junior black team to a 36-2-1 record this past season.

“Kristofer displays a strong hockey IQ and mental and physical toughness, maintaining composure under pressure and consistently making smart decisions,” Mighty Penguins Junior Black coach Lucien Gasse said. “Kristofer’s competitiveness was evident in every shift, bringing relentless effort and grit.”

Robinson’s performance at the junior level this year and in previous years allowed him to play with the adult black team. It went undefeated in the Northeast Sled Hockey Tier III league, winning the 2024-25 championship.

“My hope for (Kristofer) is that I get at least one full year with him on my squad before he moves up to our senior team, our advanced players. … He’s going to have that ability to battle harder against bigger, tougher opponents, things along those lines,” Mighty Penguins Adult Black coach Evan Bucheit said. “But I know darn well that his days on that squad are going to be numbered, because he’s certainly good enough to move up through our ranks as well and start playing with some of the ex-Olympians and, you know, talent that we have in our senior program.”

Robinson earned an invite to the USA Hockey Sled Player Development Camp, where 60 sled hockey prospects from around the country met July 20-25 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

“I am excited about the camp. It was an honor that I was picked to do it,” Robinson said. “(About) the camp, you have to apply for (scouts) to watch you, and then they will contact you if they think you are a good prospect.”

The camp seeks to recruit, train and teach top U.S. sled hockey players. Coaches will evaluate Robinson, along with other athletes, for a spot on the U.S. National Sled Hockey team or the U.S. National Sled Hockey team practice squad for the 2025-26 season.

“Whether it’s vision to cover his point to get a clearance attempt and keep it in the offensive zone, or even just making stick-to-stick seam passes, Kris always seems to just know where he needs to be and make the best play in that moment,” Bucheit said. “And so, from a nationals perspective, they’re seeing a guy that has raw talent and is very, very moldable. Kris is a kid that often asks what he can do better at the end of each game and is constantly in the pursuit of perfection, even though we all know it’s not really attainable.”

Although scholarship opportunities exist for sled hockey and track and field, Robinson wants to continue playing for the Mighty Penguins while in college.

In addition to his sled hockey feats, Robinson has excelled in track and field. He has competed in the wheelchair 100-meter, 200-meter and shot put events.

Robinson won the wheelchair shot put gold medal and 100-meter dash gold medal at the WPIAL championship meet this spring. In 2024, he also won the PIAA title in the wheelchair shot put and 200 dash.

“Shot put was my favorite because I could feel my body and muscles work to get the shot further,” Robinson said.

When training, Robinson does calisthenics and light strength training at home and laps on Knoch’s high school track.

When he was 3 years old, Robinson became eligible for sled hockey and wheelchair track and field events after having his right leg and part of his pelvis amputated because of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. He has enjoyed finding his passion in those sports and having them become a key part of his life.

“It was an honor to be one of the first to bring (wheelchair track and field events) to the state,” Robinson said. “My hope was to bring more people to the sport, which next year should bring at least two new kids to the sport.”

Tags: Knoch