Natalie Spooner’s return energizes Team Canada in win over Switzerland

BRAMPTON, Ont. — Back at the world championship just four months after the birth of her first child, Team Canada veteran Natalie Spooner wasted no time making an impact for the home team. 

The power forward registered Canada’s first goal of its first game of the 2023 worlds — a 4-0 victory over Switzerland — with a signature snipe from the left circle at 8:18 of the first period, igniting the home crowd and Canada’s bench. 

It was a memorable goal for every one of her teammates, who instantly erupted in celebration. Just don’t ask Spooner herself to describe it. 

"I think I blacked out when I scored,” she said with a laugh post-game. Her first thought that followed her signature snipe in tight from the left circle was, “Oh my gosh, did it really go in!?”

Her teammates made sure to fill in the gaps for her. 

“All the girls were like, 'The crowd was going wild, it was so good!'" she said. "I was like, 'Ah, I wish I would have kind of, like, looked around more.' But I was just like, I don't even know what was going on at that moment."

Spooner and her husband welcomed son Rory on Dec. 6 and while she knew it would be a remarkably tight turnaround to get back in red and white in time for this spring tournament, she said post-game that was always her plan.

"It's pretty amazing how supportive my teammates and Hockey Canada have been of this whole thing. And obviously it's a lot for me to juggle, but I mean, he's got so many aunties around that they hold him at meals and make sure he's happy so I can eat,” she said. 

"I came into this tournament just hoping to make an impact and help my team. And, you know, to get that first one was pretty special."

Spooner wasn't the only veteran to jump back into Canada’s lineup after an absence. A healthy Rebecca Johnston, who sat out last summer's worlds, was back on the top line alongside Marie-Philip Poulin and Breanne Jenner. 

"She brings so much experience, so much speed, and I think she's a key component to this team," Poulin said of her linemate. "Very happy to have her back."

Team Canada head coach Troy Ryan praised both veterans. 

"To have them contribute right off the bat, it's great for us as a team but it's also great for them individually,” he said. He also had plenty of positive takeaways from the performance of the team’s lone rookie, forward Danielle Serdachny.

"I thought she was good. We've been really happy with her," Ryan said of Serdachny, who also suited up for two of Canada's Rivalry Series games. "We watched her play a lot against Princeton this year, and we thought her and (fellow Team Canada forward Sarah Fillier) went head-to-head a lot. So we knew that she has the compete level. We know she has the skill. And here, she's been great because right now she's playing on the wing, she's able to play the wing, but she's primarily a centre. So the versatility that she gives us and she can play with is just so valuable. And I thought she played a pretty mature game."

Sarah Nurse and Sarah Fillier also scored for Canada while netminder Ann-Renee Desbiens earned a 12-save shutout. Asked post-game about his first impression of Canada’s performance, Ryan pointed to some missed details in the first period, which saw Canada outshot by the Swiss 9-8, but was happy with how his team responded following the initial outing. Canada’s offence was dominant in the second two frames, outshooting Switzerland 16-2 and 25-1, respectively. 

Canada’s penalty kill, tested early and often in what was a physical game, was a perfect 6-0.

A hard-hitting affair from the start, the physical matchup turned chippy quickly. While some post-whistle scrums — including a scuffle between Marie-Philip Poulin and Switzerland’s Lara Stalder to close out the second, which saw both captains start the third in the penalty box with roughing minors — looked like bad blood, but it had Poulin smiling post-game. 

"Every team here, they're here for a reason. They want to win and we're all aware of that. And that's fun. It makes it fun to play against each other,” she said. “It's intense, it was feisty, but that's  part of it, that's what women's hockey's all about. It's fast, it's intense, and it's always fun."  

Canada next hits the ice Friday against Czechia. 

AROUND THE WORLDS

USA 7, Japan 1

Japan’s Haruka Toko scored the game’s first goal, but Team USA took over scoring soon after. Alex Carpenter had two goals and an assist, while newly-minted captain Hilary Knight led by example with a goal and two helpers. (Kendall Coyne Schofield, who usually wears the C, announced in March she’s expecting her first child this summer.) Knight called the captaincy “a tremendous honour.”

Finland 14, France 1

Finland and France faced off in the tournament’s first game, and the Finns wasted no time getting their offence going. Finland scored six games in the first period en route to a 14-1 win — the most goals they’ve ever scored in a world championship game. A poor outing in the 2022 tournament saw the Finns bumped to Group B this year, and they’re clearly motivated to move back up the rankings.

"We need to win games like this to prove we belong back in the A group," Finnish forward Petra Nieminen told reporters post-game. "It was a really solid game, and now we need to keep going."