Golden memories from Sweden

What was the experience like for the five local London Devilettes players who won U18 gold with Team Canada at last month’s World Championship? Here, Jocelyn Amos, Emma Pais, Abby Stonehouse, Keira Hurry and Shelby Laidlaw, in their own words …

(Photo: Hockey Canada Images).

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It was a club record. Five London Devilettes players represented Canada at a world championship last month – and they won gold, as the red and white claimed their second straight title at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, this time in Sweden.

After a hard-fought semi-final, in which the Canadians managed a 3-2 overtime win over Finland, they dominated in the gold-medal game, winning 10-0 over the host team in Östersund, Sweden.

Each of the five local London Devilettes players – Jocelyn Amos, Emma Pais, Abby Stonehouse, Keira Hurry and Shelby Laidlaw – had a hand in Canada claiming its first back-to-back golds at the U18 event since 2013-14.

Pais tallied seven points in Canada’s five games and was named a top 3 player for Canada by the IIHF. Stonehouse had four points and Hurry three. Laidlaw was strong in her debut with the U18 squad, while Amos, who battled through injury, captained the team.

What was it like to win a gold medal? To travel to Europe and play in front of large crowds? To represent your country? And to experience it all alongside four of your teammates from back home? We wanted to know, so we asked them. Here, in their own words …

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Gameday London: The team really dominated the gold-medal game (much different than the down-to-the-wire semi-final vs. Finland). At what point vs. Sweden did you think to yourself, ‘We’re going to win this thing. We’re going to be world champs’? And when the final whistle did blow, what were your immediate feelings when it was official …

Jocelyn Amos
The team played amazing in the finals. During the game, I try and stay present in each moment and not think about the end of it. So, I guess you could say it really sunk in that we were world champions when the final buzzer sounded!

Emma Pais
Throughout the whole tournament, the team had the belief that we could win. In that final game we tried not to focus on the score or the outcome. We tried our best to stay in the moment and enjoy the experience of playing in the gold medal game. When the final whistle did blow, the whole group felt pure excitement. For many of us, this had been a childhood dream, and for it to happen was pretty unreal.

Abby Stonehouse
I had an idea we were going to be gold medal champions late in the third period. I didn’t want to assume that earlier in the game because you never know what can happen. Our team just kept playing our game and focusing on the little things. When the final buzzer went, we were able to celebrate the win. I was very excited that we won a gold medal – and proud to have done it wearing the Canadian jersey. 

Keira Hurry
Before the final game started, the whole team wanted to win so bad. We knew we were going to do whatever it took to be gold medalists. And when we hit the ice, we did exactly that. Even though the score kept climbing, we remained grounded and played like it was a 0-0 game. I think everyone was excited when we kept scoring, but we knew it wasn’t over until the final buzzer. Once the final buzzer went, I was thinking, ‘Holy crap, we’re world champions!’ I was so happy and excited. Everyone was hugging each other and so proud of each other. I also felt very honoured and grateful to be in that moment.

Shelby Laidlaw
The moment when we were on the bench counting down the last few seconds of the game was when I realized we were about to be champions. When that final buzzer did go, I jumped off the bench and ran to my teammates to celebrate, filled with just pure joy and excitement. I couldn’t believe we had just won a world championship.

Team Canada captain Jocelyn Amos watches the celebration after Canada’s 3-2 overtime win over Finland in the semi-final. (Photo: Andrea Cardin/IIHF).

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Gameday London: Besides winning the gold, what was your favourite team moment of the tournament? And, from a personal standpoint, what was your favourite highlight/moment? How do you think this U18 Worlds experience will help your game going forward? 

Jocelyn Amos
There are so many moments and memories that will stay with me forever from this experience. Walks with teammates and going out to get coffee and shop a little bit are all little things I will cherish. We also did fun team events away from hockey, like playing paddle. However, for me, I will never forget the bonds I made with the other 22 players. Those will last a lifetime.

This experience has developed my game – and will continue to – both on and off the ice. On the ice, the coaches gave lots of feedback and it was easy for me to learn from other players as well. Off the ice, I learned how to be a leader in a difficult situation, having to sit out due to injury, and it’s an experience that I will lean on and learn from throughout my life. 

Emma Pais
I think my favourite team moment from the tournament was singing ‘O Canada’ on the blueline after winning each game. It was very special to represent my country and to have the privilege to sing the national anthem after each win. From a personal standpoint, my favourite highlight/moment was scoring the game-winning goal against the USA. It has been a childhood dream of mine to score a goal against the USA as I grew up watching the Canada versus USA rivalry, so that was unreal.

I believe this experience has changed my life in many ways. I’ve learned so much on and off the ice from both my teammates and the staff. I think my game has developed based on what I learned in Sweden already, and I think it will continue to develop. I learned so much about leadership and now I have a new perspective on the game itself. I think this experience will continue to help my game going forward. 

Abby Stonehouse
My favourite team moment was when the buzzer finally went in the championship game and we were able to celebrate with each other. We spent a lot of time together over the weeks, and it was exciting to share that moment with each of my teammates/friends. Receiving our medals and hoisting the cup was a very close second! 

Keira Hurry
My favourite team moment was probably our jersey reveal. We all sat in a meeting room and our leadership group called us up one-by-one to get our jersey. And together, we all put them on. I think that’s when we really felt like a family. My favourite personal memory was playing in that final game. Running onto the ice, looking up and seeing every seat full, my heart was racing. Playing in the final game of a world championship is something I’ve dreamed of my whole life, so it was a huge moment for me when I realized it was actually happening.

I will bring everything I learned from this experience home and continue to apply it to my game. Our coaches were amazing, and I learned so much from them. They helped me develop as a player and a person. Playing with the Devilettes, I’m now using that experience to develop my game. 

Shelby Laidlaw
My favourite team moment has to be the moments before we played a game when we would all huddle in really close around the net. It was only us in that moment – no outside noise, no distractions, just the team. My favourite highlight of the tournament was walking out onto the ice at the start of the gold medal game and seeing the arena packed with fans. My experience at the U18 Worlds will help me improve my game going forward. Seeing how cool that experience was and how much more is out there makes me want to continue to improve and do something like that again.

Emma Pais celebrates following a goal against the United States in preliminary action at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. (Photo: Chris Tanouye/IIHF).

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Gameday London: Hockey aside, it’s pretty neat to travel to Europe as a young person and get that experience. What were your favourite off-ice experiences in Sweden? What did you enjoy most about the sites you saw, and the different culture you experienced? 

Jocelyn Amos
This was actually my first time in Europe, so it was super cool to see. Our team took a trip into Stockholm during pre-competition and that was an amazing place to see. Our hotel was also in downtown Östersund, and there were lots of stores and cute coffee shops. The shopping streets opened to a beautiful tree all lit up, and behind it you could see the ski hill and all the houses on the hill. I definitely won’t forget that! 

Emma Pais
Experiencing Sweden with this amazing group was pretty awesome. I think my favourite off-ice experience was touring through Stockholm during pre-competition. It was so beautiful, and it was so much fun with the girls. I also really enjoyed the sightseeing that we did in Ostersund. It was so beautiful. These experiences were unbelievable, and they are definitely memories I’ll never forget. I also enjoyed learning about Swedish culture and exploring different coffee and gift shops. 

Keira Hurry
I absolutely loved Sweden. Our team went to Stockholm for a day, and it was breathtaking. The narrow streets and old, tall, beautiful buildings were my favourite. Ostersund was also gorgeous. Our hotel was in a really nice area. There were streets lined with lights and Christmas trees and local shops and restaurants. We walked through them every day. A top memory is walking to different coffee shops every day with some teammates. Ostersund also has a big ski hill, and it was beautiful to look at from my hotel window and from the streets. I also spent an off-day with my mom, and we walked around Ostersund. We both love walking and going to little shops, so it was a lot of fun to be able to do that with her. 

Shelby Laidlaw
Sweden was definitely a pretty cool country to travel to. Some of my favourite off-ice moments were when we got to explore and look around at all the little shops and stores around the town. I enjoyed seeing the different culture in Sweden. I noticed that many people speak English pretty well, and everyone drives smaller cars. You don’t see many trucks there.

Gameday London: Having five Devilettes teammates on the Canadian team is unique and must have been pretty cool. What was the biggest benefit of having four of your London teammates with you on the world stage? What stands out as the most fun part (or experience) of that London Devilettes connection while you were in Sweden?

Jocelyn Amos
It’s pretty special to have gone to Sweden with them and win gold alongside each other. I think the best part is after going through that experience we are able to come home and still talk and laugh about some of the things that happened together. It was nice going in with the four of them because you have a feeling of extra comfort knowing they are by your side. We have all seen each other work so hard and I’m so happy we got to win gold together! 

Emma Pais
I think the biggest benefit to having four of my teammates alongside me throughout the tournament was the support. We are all very close friends and leaned on each other when things got tough. We had each other’s backs, no matter what, and we truly wanted the best for one another. It was a really cool experience for all of us to do an interview with TSN. We got to talk about our experience in London and on the world stage, which was amazing. 

Abby Stonehouse
Having four of my teammates there allowed me to feel a little more relaxed. We were all in the same boat. With Jocelyn and Emma already having an international tournament like this under their belt, it was easy to lean on them for support and their expertise when needed. The best part was being able to have fun and celebrate with my London teammates and really enjoy the moment. 

Soft touch in front of the net ✨#U18WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/n0xBbZzW7e

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) January 14, 2023

Keira Hurry
I think having them there was awesome. The five of us are really close, so it was comforting to have them there. I always knew I could count on them if I needed them. We were all excited to be able to experience Worlds together. I think the best part of the London connection was Abby’s goal. It went from me to Emma, and then Abby got the goal. After she scored, we all skated to each other and celebrated like we were back home. It was a lot of fun to be able to share that moment together.

Shelby Laidlaw
It was nice to have two returning players with me [Jocelyn, Emma] to help me through and show me the way. I think it benefited us on the ice, as well, because of the chemistry we have from playing together in London. I think my favourite moment with the girls was when we all got to put our jerseys on together for the first time. It was really special, and it made me think about how grateful I was to be there with them.

Gameday London: Five years from now, what moment/memory do you think will come to mind first about your experience at the 2023 U18 Worlds? 

Jocelyn Amos
I truly can’t think of the first thing that would come to mind. I think everything – all the laughs and special moments will flood my mind at once and I will just sort through all the little things that happened! 

Emma Pais
I’ll remember the group of girls. This group was very special – both on and off the ice. We really connected, and the team culture and environment that was created was unforgettable. I will also remember winning gold. It was so special. For the seven returnees from last year’s team, going back-to-back was something we will never forget. We relied on each other throughout the whole tournament, and to be able to accomplish this with the six of them was amazing. 

Abby Stonehouse
Five years from now, I think I’ll remember how we faced adversity in our semi-final game, played our best game in the final, and how much fun we really had as a team on the road to becoming U18 Women’s World Champions!

Keira Hurry
I think the memory that will come to mind is singing our national anthem with gold medals around our necks. We had our arms around each other, the arena was packed, and we were singing our anthem. We were also laughing because we suck at singing, so it was funny. I just remember how proud we all felt, and how happy and honoured I was. It’s something I will never forget. The whole trip was definitely the best experience of my life.

Shelby Laidlaw
Of course, winning the gold will stick out to me the most, but I’m also going to remember all of the friendships and memories I made throughout my time in Sweden.