OTTAWA - Wearing a maple leaf crest on a jersey -- carrying the hopes and dreams of a country that has come to expect success -- is something that means plenty to Haley Irwin and her 22 teammates.
As Irwin stood alongside Meghan Agosta-Marciano and Sarah Vaillancourt in front of a Hockey Canada backdrop at Monday's press conference to announce Canada's team for the world women's hockey championships here April 2-9, girls with dreams of their own -- Caitlin Leu, Tess MacMillan and Julia Maine -- sat nearby, draped in their Ottawa girls hockey jerseys.
It was a huge sigh of relief to some when they found out they're going to play for Canada. For others, it was numbing.
"The worst part of a coach's job is telling someone they haven't made a team," said Canadian coach Dan Church. "There are heartbreaking decisions that you have to make when someone's done everything you've asked them to do, but they're a little bit short of getting a spot on the roster."
Play video
