Wearing the U.S. jersey is obviously an honor in itself. What does it mean to be named team captain on top of it? "It’s the greatest honor I could have ever imagined. I’ve been really fortunate to be put in positions to lead this team, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and never take lightly. On a daily basis, I think about how I can make the team better, lead the team better. It’s definitely something that is quite the honor and very important to me."
Your career has spanned the globe, but is it still exciting when you have the opportunity to come back home and play in Boston? "There’s nothing like it. It’s unbelievable. I’m so proud to be from here. I love this city with all my heart, and I’m so proud to have been raised here, so any time I get the opportunity to play in Boston, it’s extra special. I have a group of family and friends from home that have followed and supported me my entire career, and I know they were here. They’ve been to every Boston game I’ve ever played in, so it’s unbelievable."
What is your fondest memory of playing hockey up here? "I won a national championship with Wisconsin in this building, which was really cool, but we haven’t really had too many opportunities since I’ve been around to play a game like USA-Canada in Boston. This is extra special.
"When I think back to growing up and playing around here, I think of the early morning, 5 or 6 a.m. practices at East Boston, Winthrop or some of those rinks. We’d hit Dunkin’ Donuts on the way home with my family, and my dad would always let me get a hot chocolate and some Munchkins, things like that. Really, what most Bostonians would think of being young and playing hockey."
Three of your U.S. teammates are Massachusetts natives and several others played their college hockey in this area. Does that commonality make team bonding easier? "It’s really cool, and we were actually talking about it this morning while we were warming up. Our Boston roots on this team really run pretty deep with players that played at BC or Northeastern and those of us who are from the Boston area. A lot of girls look at Brianna Decker and Hilary Knight who moved to Boston, played on the (NWHL’s Boston) Pride, so probably half of our team has some serious Boston connections. I’m certainly proud to be born and raised, but I know those guys enjoy it and love being back here, too."
You’ve been a part of the last two Olympic teams as well, winning silver medals in Sochi and Vancouver. How much does that still motivate you and the other returning players? "A ton. A ton. When you come off something like that, obviously disappointing the way the last Olympics ended for us, you have to be able to step away from that, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Why? How can we be better? How can I be better?’ For me personally, how can I lead better? How can I physically be a better presence for my team?’ We’ve done all that in the last couple of years, and it’s really been driving force. I’m excited with where we’re at right now and excited to see what we have at this next Olympics."
A difference between the men’s and women’s teams that compete in Olympics is the amount of time you will spend together before the games begin in PyeongChang in February. Even before coming to Boston, you had all been in Wesley Chapel, Florida, for more than a month. How important is that residency period? "It’s huge. When you think about team sports, I think a lot of people talk about the culture and the chemistry within the locker room and how you use that to your advantage on the ice. Us being together right now, living together in Florida, what we’re able to work on, conversations we’re able to have, relationships we’re able to build, that all plays into our team culture. It’s on the upswing right now, we’re in a great spot, and I’m excited to see where it’s going to even go from here."
What is a typical day like down there? How do the non-Olympic years break up? "It really flies, to be honest. We say it a lot, but the Olympics aren’t every four years, it’s every single day. So, where we live, how we train, what team we play for, what we eat and how much we sleep, that all goes into it. It’s an everyday job. We’ve all played for our pro or college teams, kept up training, obviously played in three World Championships and multiple Four Nations Cups, had a lot of different training camps with the U.S. team, so we certainly keep ourselves busy and it’s all for this greater focus and the bigger picture that is February of 2018. We’re excited and ready."
You’ve been also been part of the National Women’s Hockey League since its inception. Especially as someone who has been at the forefront of growing women’s hockey for such a long time now, how special has it been to see that league flourishing? "It’s fantastic. Even just recently, seeing the New Jersey Devils backing the Riveters team, I think that’s huge. It’s a big step for women’s hockey with the NWHL being in its third season now and continuing to grow with different partnerships, getting into different markets. I’m looking forward to women’s hockey just spreading its wings even more and coming together as much as we can to really push the sport forward."
Key Facts
Team: U.S. Women’s National Team
Hometown: Danvers, Mass. |Pos.: F | College: Wisconsin
Notable: Two-time Olympic silver medalist (2014 Sochi, 2010 Vancouver); 2014 USA captain; NWHL All-Star for Boston Pride; won Clarkson Cup with Boston Blades of the CWHL; won four NCAA titles at Wisconsin, won Patty Kazmaier Award as a senior; USA Hockey’s Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year in 2011; three-year recipient of Bette Davis Award as the top female athlete in her class at Cushing Academy (Mass.)
Favorites
Pregame meal: "Pretty simple. For an afternoon game, I’d go with oatmeal and eggs in the morning. For a night game, the typical chicken and vegetables."
Favorite place to play: "All-time, I have to go with Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin."
Practice drill: "Any type of mini-games, small-area battles."
Food: Indian
Vacation spot: Ireland
Musician: Ron Pope
Song: "Anything by Beyonce, pregame."
Actor/actress: Ryan Gosling
TV show: "This Is Us"
Book: "The Power of One"
Video game: "No, I’m not a gamer."
Sport other than hockey: Golf
Team: New England Patriots
Player: Patrice Bergeron
Non-hockey athlete: Serena Williams
Equipment
Stick: CCM
Helmet: CCM
Gloves: CCM
Skates: CCM
