Once rivals for gold, now partners in parenthood
Former captains of opposing Canadian, U.S. hockey teams ‘blessed’ to welcome first child
The baby announcement came just over a week after the birth. Two beaming new moms stand on either side of their newborn: a little girl, seven pounds and three ounces, with her eyes shut tight but two fists still clenching each mama’s finger. Hardly the focal point in the photo is a Concordia Stingers hockey T-shirt worn by one of the baby’s moms.
Hockey has been an integral part of their story — Caroline Ouellette and Julie Chu were once the captains of opposing teams in women’s hockey’s most heated rivalry: Team Canada and Team U.S.A, respec- tively. For nearly two decades, the two countries have fought bitterly on the Olympic ice.
When the couple faced each other in their first Olympics — in Salt Lake City in 2002, when Chu was just19 and Ouellette was 23 — they stepped onto the ice sporting the same jersey number: 13. Ouellette skated away with a gold medal that day, and at every Winter Olympics since.
In between Olympics, Ouellette and Chu also faced each other at the world championships, where the U.S. has won four straight titles.
But, somewhere along the line, fiery rivalry gave way to warmed hearts. Ouellette and Chu — who have since become teammates in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League for Les Canadiennes de Montréal — fell in love.
“I feel truly blessed to experience this incredible adventure with my love and best friend Julie,” Ouellette wrote Monday on Instagram.
Their daughter is Liv Chu-Ouellette, born Nov. 5 at 40 weeks and 2 days.
“It was a happy pregnancy for us,” added Ouellette, who gave birth. “Liv was on the ice to win the Clarkson Cup with Les Canadiennes de Montreal this past March.
“We spent the summer coaching the sport we love with great friends.”
Chu added that the pair had already been gifted a chance to represent their countries, and to do what they loved every day.
“We couldn’t have felt luckier, until we were blessed with the most incredible gift so far.”
“Cheers to the sleepless nights to come,” Ouellette added.
The internet response to the family’s big announcement has been jovial. “CWHL excited about our 2038 newest draft pick,” CWHL commissioner Brenda Andress tweeted Monday. “Congrats Caroline and Julie.” The Concordia Stingers — for whom Chu is head coach, and Ouellette an assistant coach — also tweeted out their excitement.
“Liv, welcome to the (Stingers) family!” they wrote.
“We couldn’t have felt luckier (to have represented our countries), until we were blessed with the most incredible gift so far.” JULIE CHU
Chu, 35, retweeted just one of the many responses to the couple’s birth announcement, which noted that Liv would be eligible for university sports in 2035. And beyond teammates and coworkers, an outpouring of excite- ment over the pair’s love story — despite its icy origins — was evident online. One user quipped that the couple had ended the USA-Canada rivalry forever.
Another used their story as a chance to ruminate on possibilities.
“What Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette have proven is that you too can live the life of an inspirational sports movie with a compelling relationship arc.”
Ouellette, 38, ranks third all-time in scoring for the Canadian women with 87 goals and 155 assists in 220 games.