What Natalie Spooner’s Selection Says About Team Canada

Key Highlights

• “I think a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders,” she said.
• “And I’m super excited for her.”That sense of release followed a stretch in which nothing was guaranteed and many had Spooner on the bubble, possibly being left off the roster in favor of someone younger.
• But coach Troy Ryan emphasized that Spooner’s selection was not based on past versions of her game.“People may think that we think we’re getting the Spooner of old; we’re not,” Ryan said.
• “And that’s okay.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRyan pointed out what went into Spooner reaching this moment, much of it out of public view.
• “The work she’s done behind the scenes to even get herself to this point,” he said, noting that the focus was on how she could contribute to the current group. At the World Championship and the Rivalry Series, Spooner has taken on varied roles, including time as a depth forward, while still finding ways to impact games.