On the eve of Olympic competition, it is bracing to see that Women’s international hockey is no longer a tale of two countries. Canada- USA is the rivalry that North Americans love of course, but Finland, Russia, Germany are all serious contenders nowadays, which is all for the good of the game. Canadian forward Natalie Spooner is counting the days to Beijing now. And it may seem like a paradox, but she is convinced that all the pandemic isolation has actually brought the Canadian national team to new strengths. Nobody asked for time alone, but when it happened, everyone had the scope to work on individual skills, and to focus on the many small things, on ice and off, that can make each separate member of the Beijing roster stronger.

Believers in wholistic team building might demur, but there is no arguing with Canada’s domination in last August’s World Championships. And isolation or not, when the team comes together, as Spooner tells POV host Anastasia, it really really really comes together. Veterans like herself are more than happy to help the newest generation of players find their happy place in the mix. Good vibes in the locker room translate to good team cohesion on the ice. This is a national team that has every reason to believe in itself. Like Spooner says, “If we’re a goal down…we know we are a team that can score four times in a period.”