Team Canada seems to have an endless supply of talent coming up through the ranks, and the next wave of talent, including Maddie McCullough and Rosalie Tremblay, have been on display with the U-18 team versus USA.
Team Canada seems to have an endless supply of talent coming up through the ranks, and the next wave of talent, including Maddie McCullough and Rosalie Tremblay, have been on display with the U-18 team versus USA.
Watching Canada's U-18 national team play at the 2024 summer series against USA, another wave of Canadian talent is introducing themselves to the hockey world. The group has found immediate success together, and look poised to again challenge for gold at the World Championships this winter in Finland.
"We have a great young team, we saw it through the 46 at camp last week, it was tough to narrow it to 23," said head coach Vicky Sunohara of bringing the roster to 23 for the summer select series. "Pretty exceptional speed and hockey IQ. They're young players, but gosh, they're playing beyond their years for sure."
At this point in their development, it's not about structure or systems, it's about helping the young players flourish. It's a model that has worked for Canada with players like Chloe Primerano, who is captaining Canada's U-18 team, as well as a group of players who advanced from last year's U-18 roster to the national development team including Emma Venusio, Caitlin Kraemer, Claire Murdoch, Mackenzie Alexander, and Gracie Graham.
"We're really trying to allow the players to be themselves and bring what they bring, bring what got them to this point," said Sunohara.
For the players representing Canada for the first time, they're hoping to follow that path to the U-18 World Championships and through Hockey Canada's program.
"It's always been a dream growing up to wear this jersey," said Rosalie Tremblay, whose sister Maxim Tremblay played in this series last summer. "Just to play against the States, it makes our team better, and it makes the whole experience better. Just the chance to wear this jersey and represent my country has been awesome."
Tremblay, who plays for Stanstead College, is one of several first year eligible 2008 born players on the roster looking to earn a spot with the U-18 national team for Finland. She's joined by Maddie McCullough, who has been one of Canada's standout forwards in the summer series.
"Honestly it's been such a pleasure," McCullough said of representing Canada. "I think one of the biggest things is having the support from the older girls. There was obviously nerves going in, but I've honestly just had such a great time with these girls. Wearing a Canada jersey for the first time is just unreal, and I don't think it's sunk in yet, but I'm having the best time."
McCullough is already committed to play NCAA hockey for Minnesota after staring in the OWHL last year as a 15-year-old with the Durham West Lightning. For both Tremblay and McCullough, this series is only the first step. They both intend to be contributors for Canada at the World Championships in Finland.
"It would mean the world to me. It's my goal to go to Finland, and I need to perform at the national championships in November, but it's my dream to go to Worlds for sure," said Tremblay.
"That would mean the world to me," McCullough echoed. "It's been a dream for me since I was a little girl. Just getting to wear the Maple Leaf for the first time, that was awesome, but now we have to reach for the next step, the jobs not done. We want to make Finland, that would be a dream come true."