LINKOPING, SWEDEN – After three practices in two days in Toronto, and a 14 hour travel schedule, the National Women’s Team arrived in Linkoping, Sweden on Tuesday afternoon.

Team Canada will practice tonight in Linkoping in preparation for their first exhibition game on Thursday, March 31 in Norrkoping versus Finland. Canada will be based out of Linkoping for the reminder of the tournament playing all three round robin games at the Cloetta Center.

Before leaving for Toronto, the team sat in on a presentation by two RCMP officers. They are both former participants in the RCMP’s Musical Ride. They shared their experience and emphasized the immeasurable pride with being involved with such a Canadian symbol. They referred to working as a team in order to achieve perfection, which is needed with each and every performance. The characteristics of the musical ride parallels what the National Team is trying to achieve through execution, dedication, and working together as a team. At the end of the presentation, the two officers presented veteran forward Danielle Goyette with an official hat from the RCMP.

FROM A PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE

CARLA MACLEOD – Carla is participating in her first ever IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship. She has previous international experience having won gold at the 2004 Four Nations Cup and captained Canada’s National Under-22 team. This was her junior year at the University of Wisconsin where she is captain of the Women’s Hockey Team.

Well, here I sit in the Frankfurt airport on my way to my first World Championships in Sweden. It’s been a long day already and we’re only about half way done. But the excitement of the tournament overrides any thoughts of fatigue. To have the opportunity to represent Canada at the highest level possible in Women’s hockey is truly a dream come true for me.