Canada opened the defence of its Paralympics sledge hockey title on Saturday with a confident 4-0 shutout of Italy.

Marc Dorian scored midway through the first period when his goal-line sweep of the puck banked off a defender and past Italian goalie Santino Stillitano who was solid in net, stopping 12 of 16 shots.

With Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in attendance at the Thunderbird Arena, on the University of British Columbia campus, Greg Westlake scored the first of his two goals early in the third period before captain Jean Labonte closed out the scoring with six minutes to go.

Westlake, who had both of his feet amputated as a baby, was the star of the game, registering seven shots as well as a penalty for charging after boarding an Italian player.

The Ontario native attributed the third-seeded team's slow start to nerves and an improved Italian side which Canada beat 12-0 in Turin in the 2006 Paralympics.

"We we're expecting to win, maybe we were expecting to win too much. Nobody knew what to expect," he said.

"We have never played before in front of this many people (5,420 attendance) so obviously we we're gripping our sticks a little too tight.

"But I was proud. You go into the third period in a one-goal game and you want to bury the other team. Today was good practice in being in a tight game and finishing the other team."