Like many Europeans, 18-year-old Judith Schmitz grew up playing and watching soccer in her native Dusseldorf, Germany, and later with a number of teams on Montreal’s West Island.

And naturally, she and her family were enthusiastic supporters of the German national soccer team, which won its fourth FIFA World Cup championship last summer in Brazil.

However, when Canada went head-to-head against Germany on the second day of 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship action at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Judith’s loyalties were evident from her red-and-white mittens to her Team Canada t-shirt.

“I’m cheering for Canada, of course!” she stated. “Canada has the best team in the tournament, by far.”

Once Judith and her family moved to Canada 10 years ago, the passion and energy of hockey slowly worked its magic on the family. These days, she and her father, Norbert, can often be found cheering on the Montreal Canadiens from the Bell Centre’s Coors Light Zone.

And with the excitement of the IIHF World Junior Championship taking place in her adopted city, Judith and her sister Mareike, 20, were looking forward to an evening of thrilling on-ice action.

“The passion and intensity of the players are great to watch, and the game is really fast at this level,” Mareike says. “This game is a welcome break for us right now.”

It’s a sentiment shared by the sisters. Last year, they lost their youngest sister to an aggressive brain tumour just after the Christmas holidays. As the family marks the first anniversary of the 11-year-old’s passing, they are glad for the distraction of hockey.

“It’s good for us to focus on something else, something positive, right now,” Judith notes.

As the sisters filed out of the Bell Centre after Canada’s convincing 4-0 win, Mareike’s face lit up with a satisfied smile.

“The German goalie was tough, but Team Canada is so strong. Hockey is a Canadian sport, and the Canadians are the best in the world at it. I enjoyed that game a lot.”

Positive words and a happy memory to brighten a late-December evening in Montreal.