Key Takeaways
- Julia Gosling and Ella Shelton, two London-area hockey stars, have been selected to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
- Both players are excited to living out their childhood dreams of playing for Team Canada on the world stage.
- Gosling will be making her Olympic debut, while Shelton will be defending her gold medal from the 2022 Beijing Games.
- The players credit the growing Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) for providing them with opportunities and support.
- They encourage young women to pursue their dreams of playing professional hockey, believing that hard work and dedication can lead to success.
Introduction to Team Canada’s Roster
Two London-area hockey stars, Julia Gosling and Ella Shelton, are ecstatic to be living out their childhood dreams of representing Canada on the world stage at the Winter Olympics in Italy. Gosling and Shelton are among 26 players part of Team Canada’s roster for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which starts on February 6. Shelton, who plays defence for the Toronto Six in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), said she is still reliving the moment she first heard the news on replay. "It’s a pretty big moment and something athletes wait years for, so to get that call again is pretty cool," the Ingersoll native told CBC Radio’s London Morning.
Representing Canada on the World Stage
Gosling, a forward for the Seattle Metropolitans, will be making her Olympic debut, while Shelton will be defending her gold medal from the 2022 Beijing Games. Shelton said she hopes to defend that championship again this year. For Gosling, this will be her first time at the Olympics, and she is excited for the whole experience. "I’m just excited for the whole experience," Gosling told CBC Radio’s Afternoon Drive. "I’ve heard so much about the Olympics, the village, the opening ceremonies. Just watching other sports and then also competing at the Olympics for hockey has always been a dream." Both players are proud to be representing Canada on the world stage and are looking forward to competing against the best teams in the world.
The Growing Professional Women’s Hockey League
Being part of a growing PWHL has been nothing short of surreal for both Shelton and Gosling, with the amount of support they’ve gotten from fans and the entire hockey community. Shelton scored the first-ever goal in PWHL history in 2024, when she played for the New York team. This time around, it will be an interesting competition for the players, whose American teammates will become their rivals on the ice. "It’s been pretty cool to see not only the inner workings of how they go about their day, but just ideas to bring back to different teams," said Shelton. "It’s just good camaraderie, but also good competitiveness." The PWHL has provided both players with opportunities to develop their skills and compete against the best players in the world.
Competition and Camaraderie on the Ice
Gosling will play against five of her Seattle teammates, which she admits will be "a bit weird" but nothing she hasn’t done before. She said her teammates have been very supportive and were excited to see her on the roster. "You just aren’t friends on the ice when you’re competing for your country," she said, adding that she believes knowing her counterparts’ style of play will give her an advantage. Shelton also believes that the competition will be fierce, but she is confident in her team’s abilities. The players are looking forward to the competition and the opportunity to play against the best teams in the world.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Hockey Players
Their former coach, Ted Brown, said the pair are a huge inspiration to the team’s current players. "It gives all these young girls the incentive to look at it and say ‘Hey if they can do it, I can do it,’ which really helps with morale and effort on the ice," said Brown. "There’s a big excitement throughout this whole organization." Chelsea Jongeneelen, president of the London Devilettes Girls Hockey Association, said in an emailed statement that Gosling and Shelton’s achievements send a powerful message to current and future athletes that there are meaningful pathways in women’s hockey. The players are proud to be role models and are encouraging young women to pursue their dreams of playing professional hockey.
Conclusion and Advice to Young Hockey Players
Shelton and Gosling have been busy gearing up for the Olympics through training camps and rivalry games with the U.S., and they’re confident they will do well. Gosling encourages young women wanting to pursue professional hockey to believe in their abilities. "If you work hard and enjoy what you’re doing, it’ll work out. Dreams do come true, it just happened to me so just keep pushing." The players are excited to represent Canada on the world stage and are looking forward to competing against the best teams in the world. They believe that their participation in the Olympics will inspire the next generation of hockey players and provide them with opportunities to develop their skills and compete against the best players in the world.