The U.S.'s Tessa Janece (#22) and Kirsten Simms (#17) have terrorized opposition goalies with linemate Laila Edwards at the 2022 U18 Women's Worlds in Wisconsin.
photo: Chris Tanouye / HHOF-IIHF Images
In 1974, music journalist Jon Landau famously wrote: “I have seen the future of rock and roll, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.”
To paraphrase that quote, a hockey observer at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship might say: “I have seen the future of USA Hockey and the University of Wisconsin, and it’s Laila Edwards and Kirsten Simms.”
Together with Tessa Janecke, the two American assistant captains – both set to suit up for the Badgers under head coach Mark Johnson in 2022-23 – have formed the tournament’s most deadly line so far with the unbeaten defending champs. In a 5-0 romp over Finland at LaBahn Arena on Tuesday, this trio combined for eight points, and has now totalled 14 points through two games (Edwards and Janecke 3+2=5 apiece, Simms 0+4=4).
Edwards, 18, potted the first-period winner on a power-play rebound and evoked Hilary Knight with her bar-down fifth goal powering to the net. Simms, 17, had two assists: the 160-cm, 60-kg forward was stickhandling up a storm and circling the Finnish zone all night.
And Janecke – a Penn State commit, unlike her linemates – delivered four points, the most spectacular of which was her in-tight, backhand roof job that beat Finnish netminder Hannele Tarkiainen to make it 2-0. The Orangeville, Illinois product is also the tournament’s top faceoff woman so far, going 80.7 percent at the dot (21 wins, 5 losses).
The last three goals against Finland came in a flurry spanning just 1:27 late in the third period. Realistically, the U.S. carried the play for most of 60 minutes, but Edwards, a 188-cm, 84-kg tower of strength, holds her team to a high standard and isn’t shy about expressing her thoughts. The U.S. peaked in shots on goal in the third period, outshooting Finland 18-3.
“We had a rough second period, but we didn't let that stop us from having a great third,” Edwards said. “We were relentless out there.”
Simms, who hails from Plymouth, Michigan, broke down the roles each forward fills on the line: “Me and Laila kind of slow the game down together and move the puck and see each other. Tessa is more like the grinder. She gets in the corners, gets the pucks, [brings the] speed on our line. We’ll kind of set each other up or see what's open, and Tessa gets the hard shots off.”
When asked, U.S. head coach Katie Lachapelle had high praise for her top line, singling out Simms for her playmaking abilities.
“On that last [5-0] goal by Laila, [Simms] draws everybody to her and makes a nice pass up,” Lachapelle noted. “She gets a lot of attention and it opens other people up. She’s so good with the puck. She's so good at protecting it. Obviously, Tessa and Laila are fantastic and they can score goals, but I think Kirsten’s playing really well. She’s kind of the glue with the three of them that just really keeps everything moving on the right track.”
Simms cites Brianna Decker and Patrick Kane as two of her stickhandling role models. For fans of Russian hockey, her slips and dangles also at times evoke Artemi Panarin (a favourite of Amanda Kessel’s), Pavel Datsyuk, and Alexei Kovalev.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to imagine how dominant Edwards – a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio – could be a few years down the line. Lachapelle pointed out that in so many ways, her ability to find openings and control the puck is next-level.
“She just finds lanes,” said Lachapelle. “Her hockey IQ is off the charts and she knows where to put herself to get those chances. You get that puck on her stick, and we haven't yet seen that one-timer from her, but even on those little plays, she can really hammer the puck. She uses her brains and finds a spot to get open. And if there's a turnover or something and she takes two strides, she has the puck and her stride is so powerful. She just does a great job.”
The top line’s magical ability to overwhelm opponents with speed, power, and creativity didn’t emerge overnight. From the 2015-16 West Coast Selects U14 team’s European tour to the Bishop Kearney Selects roster for 2019-20, Edwards and Simms have lined up together over and over again. Edwards actually missed her Bishop Kearney high school graduation to play at these U18 Women’s Worlds.
“We’ve known each other forever,” said Simms. “We're kind of just like our little duo that's been going on together since we were 10 years old. We've always been playing together, just waiting for this moment, to get to be at this level together for once. So now that it's finally here, and we get the chance to play together on Team USA, it’s like there’s nothing better than that.”
It’s been a difficult road to get to the U18 Women’s Worlds in Wisconsin. The tournament was supposed to take place in Linkoping and Mjolby, Sweden, but plans for that in both 2021 and 2022 fell through due to COVID-19 fears. Thankfully, Madison and Middletown stepped up in partnership with USA Hockey and the IIHF to bring the tournament back to life this month.
Edwards commented on the roller coaster ride of emotions: “I heard rumors, but you never want to believe them until it's true because you don’t want to get your hopes up. We already already had our hopes up in December. So I heard about this, and I was like ‘Back on!’ I changed my mindset. Super excited! It still doesn't feel real even though we're here now.”
For Edwards and Simms, another surreal dimension is getting to play this tournament at UW, where they’ll soon suit up as Badgers. U.S. teammate Claire Enright is another commit, and having defender Caroline Harvey – already a veteran of the 2021 Women’s Worlds and 2022 Olympics – as a fellow Badger will add to the excitement in Madison.
Despite the self-evident importance of NCAA hockey for the global women’s game – think of superstars like Knight (Wisconsin), Finland’s Noora Raty (Minnesota), and Switzerland’s Alina Muller (Northeastern) – this marks the first time the U18 Women’s Worlds has ever taken place at a U.S. college. Chicago (2010) and Buffalo (2015) were the previous American host cities.
“It's been my dream school for a long time since I was really little,” said Simms of the Badgers, whose six Frozen Four championships are equalled only by Minnesota. “They've always been really good. And everything, including the coaching, has been awesome every single year. You just kind of look up to that like, ‘There's no better place to be than Madison, Wisconsin.’”
For Edwards, the cherry on the sundae is getting to play with her older sister Chayla. The right-shooting 21-year-old blueliner had 19 assists in 38 games as a junior with Wisconsin last year and brings a ton of leadership for Johnson’s stacked roster.
“As a hockey player, I've learned from her to work hard, have fun, play your role, do it well, do what you're good at,” Edwards said of Chayla. “Keep working at it. Don't be satisfied. And as a person, she’s definitely one of the strongest people I know. I look up to her more than anyone else. Like, be yourself, be vocal, fight for what’s right.”
Those latter sentiments are right in line with a new Women’s Sports Foundation report pegged to the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the 1972 legislation that was intended to level the playing field in terms of gender equality in U.S. college sports. The foundation notes: “The report, titled, ‘50 Years of Title IX: We’re Not Done Yet,’ found that nationwide there are currently 3.4 million participation opportunities for high school girls, falling short of the 3.6 million participation opportunities boys received in high school sports 50 years ago – and more than 1 million behind the 4.5 million opportunities for high school boys currently participating in sports.”
Players like Edwards are part of the new wave, changing the culture and pushing sports like women’s hockey to the forefront. She and Simms are excited to be moving into the UW dorms and gearing up for their college experience. It’s quite a transition. But for now, they, along with their U.S. teammates, are fully focused on Thursday’s big Group A showdown with Canada
“Our team is definitely ready,” Simms said. “We're pretty confident going in. We trust everyone. We're getting closer each day and we're ready to go.”
Will Simms and Edwards be ready to go at, say, the 2026 or 2030 Winter Olympics as well? That’s a question for another day. But the future looks bright for these up-and-coming Badgers.
To paraphrase that quote, a hockey observer at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship might say: “I have seen the future of USA Hockey and the University of Wisconsin, and it’s Laila Edwards and Kirsten Simms.”
Together with Tessa Janecke, the two American assistant captains – both set to suit up for the Badgers under head coach Mark Johnson in 2022-23 – have formed the tournament’s most deadly line so far with the unbeaten defending champs. In a 5-0 romp over Finland at LaBahn Arena on Tuesday, this trio combined for eight points, and has now totalled 14 points through two games (Edwards and Janecke 3+2=5 apiece, Simms 0+4=4).
Edwards, 18, potted the first-period winner on a power-play rebound and evoked Hilary Knight with her bar-down fifth goal powering to the net. Simms, 17, had two assists: the 160-cm, 60-kg forward was stickhandling up a storm and circling the Finnish zone all night.
And Janecke – a Penn State commit, unlike her linemates – delivered four points, the most spectacular of which was her in-tight, backhand roof job that beat Finnish netminder Hannele Tarkiainen to make it 2-0. The Orangeville, Illinois product is also the tournament’s top faceoff woman so far, going 80.7 percent at the dot (21 wins, 5 losses).
The last three goals against Finland came in a flurry spanning just 1:27 late in the third period. Realistically, the U.S. carried the play for most of 60 minutes, but Edwards, a 188-cm, 84-kg tower of strength, holds her team to a high standard and isn’t shy about expressing her thoughts. The U.S. peaked in shots on goal in the third period, outshooting Finland 18-3.
“We had a rough second period, but we didn't let that stop us from having a great third,” Edwards said. “We were relentless out there.”
Simms, who hails from Plymouth, Michigan, broke down the roles each forward fills on the line: “Me and Laila kind of slow the game down together and move the puck and see each other. Tessa is more like the grinder. She gets in the corners, gets the pucks, [brings the] speed on our line. We’ll kind of set each other up or see what's open, and Tessa gets the hard shots off.”
When asked, U.S. head coach Katie Lachapelle had high praise for her top line, singling out Simms for her playmaking abilities.
“On that last [5-0] goal by Laila, [Simms] draws everybody to her and makes a nice pass up,” Lachapelle noted. “She gets a lot of attention and it opens other people up. She’s so good with the puck. She's so good at protecting it. Obviously, Tessa and Laila are fantastic and they can score goals, but I think Kirsten’s playing really well. She’s kind of the glue with the three of them that just really keeps everything moving on the right track.”
Simms cites Brianna Decker and Patrick Kane as two of her stickhandling role models. For fans of Russian hockey, her slips and dangles also at times evoke Artemi Panarin (a favourite of Amanda Kessel’s), Pavel Datsyuk, and Alexei Kovalev.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to imagine how dominant Edwards – a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio – could be a few years down the line. Lachapelle pointed out that in so many ways, her ability to find openings and control the puck is next-level.
“She just finds lanes,” said Lachapelle. “Her hockey IQ is off the charts and she knows where to put herself to get those chances. You get that puck on her stick, and we haven't yet seen that one-timer from her, but even on those little plays, she can really hammer the puck. She uses her brains and finds a spot to get open. And if there's a turnover or something and she takes two strides, she has the puck and her stride is so powerful. She just does a great job.”
The top line’s magical ability to overwhelm opponents with speed, power, and creativity didn’t emerge overnight. From the 2015-16 West Coast Selects U14 team’s European tour to the Bishop Kearney Selects roster for 2019-20, Edwards and Simms have lined up together over and over again. Edwards actually missed her Bishop Kearney high school graduation to play at these U18 Women’s Worlds.
“We’ve known each other forever,” said Simms. “We're kind of just like our little duo that's been going on together since we were 10 years old. We've always been playing together, just waiting for this moment, to get to be at this level together for once. So now that it's finally here, and we get the chance to play together on Team USA, it’s like there’s nothing better than that.”
It’s been a difficult road to get to the U18 Women’s Worlds in Wisconsin. The tournament was supposed to take place in Linkoping and Mjolby, Sweden, but plans for that in both 2021 and 2022 fell through due to COVID-19 fears. Thankfully, Madison and Middletown stepped up in partnership with USA Hockey and the IIHF to bring the tournament back to life this month.
Edwards commented on the roller coaster ride of emotions: “I heard rumors, but you never want to believe them until it's true because you don’t want to get your hopes up. We already already had our hopes up in December. So I heard about this, and I was like ‘Back on!’ I changed my mindset. Super excited! It still doesn't feel real even though we're here now.”
For Edwards and Simms, another surreal dimension is getting to play this tournament at UW, where they’ll soon suit up as Badgers. U.S. teammate Claire Enright is another commit, and having defender Caroline Harvey – already a veteran of the 2021 Women’s Worlds and 2022 Olympics – as a fellow Badger will add to the excitement in Madison.
Despite the self-evident importance of NCAA hockey for the global women’s game – think of superstars like Knight (Wisconsin), Finland’s Noora Raty (Minnesota), and Switzerland’s Alina Muller (Northeastern) – this marks the first time the U18 Women’s Worlds has ever taken place at a U.S. college. Chicago (2010) and Buffalo (2015) were the previous American host cities.
“It's been my dream school for a long time since I was really little,” said Simms of the Badgers, whose six Frozen Four championships are equalled only by Minnesota. “They've always been really good. And everything, including the coaching, has been awesome every single year. You just kind of look up to that like, ‘There's no better place to be than Madison, Wisconsin.’”
For Edwards, the cherry on the sundae is getting to play with her older sister Chayla. The right-shooting 21-year-old blueliner had 19 assists in 38 games as a junior with Wisconsin last year and brings a ton of leadership for Johnson’s stacked roster.
“As a hockey player, I've learned from her to work hard, have fun, play your role, do it well, do what you're good at,” Edwards said of Chayla. “Keep working at it. Don't be satisfied. And as a person, she’s definitely one of the strongest people I know. I look up to her more than anyone else. Like, be yourself, be vocal, fight for what’s right.”
Those latter sentiments are right in line with a new Women’s Sports Foundation report pegged to the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the 1972 legislation that was intended to level the playing field in terms of gender equality in U.S. college sports. The foundation notes: “The report, titled, ‘50 Years of Title IX: We’re Not Done Yet,’ found that nationwide there are currently 3.4 million participation opportunities for high school girls, falling short of the 3.6 million participation opportunities boys received in high school sports 50 years ago – and more than 1 million behind the 4.5 million opportunities for high school boys currently participating in sports.”
Players like Edwards are part of the new wave, changing the culture and pushing sports like women’s hockey to the forefront. She and Simms are excited to be moving into the UW dorms and gearing up for their college experience. It’s quite a transition. But for now, they, along with their U.S. teammates, are fully focused on Thursday’s big Group A showdown with Canada
“Our team is definitely ready,” Simms said. “We're pretty confident going in. We trust everyone. We're getting closer each day and we're ready to go.”
Will Simms and Edwards be ready to go at, say, the 2026 or 2030 Winter Olympics as well? That’s a question for another day. But the future looks bright for these up-and-coming Badgers.