Infusion of youth pays dividends

Rookies mixing well with veterans as upbeat Canada eyes fifth gold medal

GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA Onone level, having nine rookies on the roster could have been viewed as an unnecessary risk for a team that has won four consecutive Olympic titles and hasn’t recorded a single defeat at the Games since 1998.

On another, Hockey Canada is committed to keeping the pipeline moving and the injection of fresh blood to this year’s women’s team is a major step in adapting to the progressive changes in the game.

So far the construction of the Canadian team has worked rather well. After getting past the wideeyed phase of the Olympics — the gear, the goodies, the opening ceremony — the rookies have settled in nicely, mixing well with veterans with a much broader base of experience. The next step toward a fifth gold comes Monday in the semifinal against the Olympic Athletes from Russia (7:10 a.m. ET).

“I love them,” said coach Laura Schuler, who is also making her Olympic debut behind the bench. “The one thing that they bring is they are really structured and they bring a ton of speed and energy. They’re always so upbeat. I think it’s great for our veterans because you see how excited they are about everything.

“It’s a reminder of how special this really is. They’re just soaking it all in and brings in really good energy.”

There is no doubt that the younger generation is faster and that speed is needed, especially for a likely gold-medal reprise with the United States later this week.

Schuler received important contributions from several rookies in the three preliminary round victories. Sarah Nurse scored the game-winning goal in the preliminary-round matchup against the U.S. and promptly attracted the attention of Toronto artist Drake.

Jillian Saulnier had a big goal against Finland and has been excellent on a line with Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Johnston that has arguably been Canada’s best.

“I feel like they look a lot more calm than I did in my first Olympics,” veteran Natalie Spooner said of the youthful influx. “They’re poised. They’re confident and they’re going out there and they’re playing great. That’s huge for us. When we have all of our players out there playing with confidence and playing the game that they can play we’re going to be a great team.”

Saulnier said that it took a few shifts to get over the Olympic jitters but that most of the first-timers now feel immersed in the tournament, despite its enormity. And the Nova Scotia native is a classic example of the quickness coveted by the Canadian coaching staff and management.

“I credit much of that (comfort) to the veterans,” Saulnier said. “They’ve been really good at helping us with our energy management and making sure we have an even keel and our heads are focused for the game because there is a lot of excitement, obviously. It is the Olympics. They’ve been doing a great job of making sure we keep our cool and our confidence throughout.

“It’s obviously special to be able to contribute to the team’s success.”

Canada’s perfect record in preliminary play earned it, arguably, the easier semifinal assignment. Canada beat OAR 5-0 in the tournament opener. The U.S., meanwhile, faces Finland, the only team in the tournament with even a remote chance of knocking off the big two.

With three days off since that 2-1 win against the U.S., the Canadians have had two lengthy practices to prepare for the Russians.

And Schuler still wasn’t buying the post-game chatter from some American players that they had shaken the Canadian confidence by holding such an advantage in shots on goal.

“Not at all,” said Schuler, who coaches a team that has won 23 straight games in Olympic competition.

“Our girls, the best thing about them is they’re not happy with where they’re at. They’re always looking towards how do we get better. When you’re hungry like that, that’s how you end up being successful.

“You’re never satisfied, there’s always something more to learn and they’re so eager. Because of that we’re in a good spot.”