Canada's Sarah Steele #3, Hannah Miller #14 and Hanna Bunton #25 pose for the camera with the Championship Trophy during gold medal action at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Phillip MacCallum
It’s 12 years since the Women’s U18 World Championship was last held in Finland. The stars of that tournament included future Olympic Champions, some Chinese connections and a future USAF medic. Read on for more ...
Future Olympic champions
USA's Kelly Pannek #23 stickhandles the puck during semifinal round action at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Jana Chytilova
Team USA won silver in Vierumaki, denied the gold medal by a Canadian goal 13 seconds from the end of regulation in the final. Three of that roster would go on to avenge that defeat on the biggest stage of all – ending a 20-year wait for Olympic gold in 2018. Dani Cameranesi, Sidney Morin and Kelly Pannek were all on the golden U.S. team in PyeongChang, with Morin and Pannek contributing assists as the final against Canada finished 2-2 in regulation. It went all the way to a shoot-out before the Americans took the verdict.
The three Minnesotans followed different paths. Forwards Cameranesi and Pannek remained in North America and were back at the Games in 2022. Defender Morin, meanwhile, headed to Europe and played several seasons in Sweden and Switzerland. She has not played for the national team again but remains active in the PWHL with Boston Fleet.
Four years later in Beijing, it was Canada’s turn to celebrate gold. And that roster included two of the 2013 U18 champions. Center Emily Clark, who wore the ‘A’ in Finland, moved seamlessly into senior international play. She debuted at the World Championship in 2015 and has made every subsequent roster to collect three gold and four silver medals. She also won Olympic silver in 2018 and upgraded to gold four years later. Fellow forward Sarah Nurse made her senior international debut at the PyeongChang Games and has been a Team Canada mainstay ever since. Like Clark, she has Olympic gold and silver, plus five World Championship medals. Both now play in the PWHL, Nurse in Toronto and Clark in Ottawa.
The three Minnesotans followed different paths. Forwards Cameranesi and Pannek remained in North America and were back at the Games in 2022. Defender Morin, meanwhile, headed to Europe and played several seasons in Sweden and Switzerland. She has not played for the national team again but remains active in the PWHL with Boston Fleet.
Four years later in Beijing, it was Canada’s turn to celebrate gold. And that roster included two of the 2013 U18 champions. Center Emily Clark, who wore the ‘A’ in Finland, moved seamlessly into senior international play. She debuted at the World Championship in 2015 and has made every subsequent roster to collect three gold and four silver medals. She also won Olympic silver in 2018 and upgraded to gold four years later. Fellow forward Sarah Nurse made her senior international debut at the PyeongChang Games and has been a Team Canada mainstay ever since. Like Clark, she has Olympic gold and silver, plus five World Championship medals. Both now play in the PWHL, Nurse in Toronto and Clark in Ottawa.
The Chinese connection
Canada's Kimberly Newell #1 makes a stick save in warmup during preliminary round action at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Phillip MacCallum
The Canadian U18 roster in Finland produced two future Olympic champions. But it also produced two more Olympians for a different nation. Goalie Kimberly Newell and forward Hannah Miller suited up for China at the Beijing Games.
In Newell’s case, this was a chance to reconnect with her family heritage. Her mother is Chinese and she studied Mandarin at college to help communicate with her grandfather. When Newell – or Zhou Jiaying – had the chance to join the Kunlun Red Star organisation’s CWHL franchise, it was too tempting to turn down. Time on the team, and a journey towards Chinese citizenship, made her eligible for the Olympics, where she helped the Chinese roster to wins over Denmark and Japan before the team fell narrowly short of making the playoffs. Newell’s 96% save ratio was the best in the tournament.
For Miller – or Mi Le, in her Chinese incarnation – there was less of an obvious connection to China. However, she played sufficient hockey within the KRS system to be eligible to switch her sporting nationality despite previously representing another country and memorably scored China’s first goal at the Beijing tournament. Both Newell and Miller also helped China win promotion to World Championship Division IA that season.
In Newell’s case, this was a chance to reconnect with her family heritage. Her mother is Chinese and she studied Mandarin at college to help communicate with her grandfather. When Newell – or Zhou Jiaying – had the chance to join the Kunlun Red Star organisation’s CWHL franchise, it was too tempting to turn down. Time on the team, and a journey towards Chinese citizenship, made her eligible for the Olympics, where she helped the Chinese roster to wins over Denmark and Japan before the team fell narrowly short of making the playoffs. Newell’s 96% save ratio was the best in the tournament.
For Miller – or Mi Le, in her Chinese incarnation – there was less of an obvious connection to China. However, she played sufficient hockey within the KRS system to be eligible to switch her sporting nationality despite previously representing another country and memorably scored China’s first goal at the Beijing tournament. Both Newell and Miller also helped China win promotion to World Championship Division IA that season.
Finnish pioneers
Finland's Emma Nuutinen #24 celebrates after Team Finland's second goal during quarterfinal round action at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Jana Chytilova
For Finland, a strong group stage raised hopes of a second medal in three years. However, the host nation was surprised by Czechia in the quarter-finals and lost 3-5. However, the tournament produced three players who went on to help the Finns make history in 2019 as the first European nation to reach the gold medal game. Only a shootout loss to the USA denied Finland gold.
For Sanni Hakala, 2013 was her first experience of tournament play. The Jyvaskyla native had 5 (3+2) points in five games, second only to Emma Nuutinen, and would return for the next two U18 championships. Then she moved up to the senior national team and had three points in four games in the 2019 silver campaign. Hakala, now 27, also won Olympic bronze in 2018 and 2022 and was a star player in the Swedish league with HV71. But her progress was abruptly halted in horrific circumstances last season. A freak accident during a game saw her crash head first into a post, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. She later described her injuries as "the toughest game of my life."
Nuutinen, meanwhile, was fast-tracked into the senior team in time to play at the 2014 Olympics. By the time 2019 came along, she was a veteran of two Games and three senior Worlds, with three bronze medals from those five tournaments. She’s still playing and returned to her hometown team, Kiekko Espoo, in 2023 after four years in the NCAA at Mercyhurst and a spell with the Buffalo Beauts.
The third player from 2013 and 2019 was goalie Eveliina Suonpaa. She was the lead goalie in 2013, and played as back-up to Noora Raty six years later. Now known as Eveliina Makinen after her marriage in 2021, she’s currently playing in Switzerland.
For Sanni Hakala, 2013 was her first experience of tournament play. The Jyvaskyla native had 5 (3+2) points in five games, second only to Emma Nuutinen, and would return for the next two U18 championships. Then she moved up to the senior national team and had three points in four games in the 2019 silver campaign. Hakala, now 27, also won Olympic bronze in 2018 and 2022 and was a star player in the Swedish league with HV71. But her progress was abruptly halted in horrific circumstances last season. A freak accident during a game saw her crash head first into a post, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. She later described her injuries as "the toughest game of my life."
Nuutinen, meanwhile, was fast-tracked into the senior team in time to play at the 2014 Olympics. By the time 2019 came along, she was a veteran of two Games and three senior Worlds, with three bronze medals from those five tournaments. She’s still playing and returned to her hometown team, Kiekko Espoo, in 2023 after four years in the NCAA at Mercyhurst and a spell with the Buffalo Beauts.
The third player from 2013 and 2019 was goalie Eveliina Suonpaa. She was the lead goalie in 2013, and played as back-up to Noora Raty six years later. Now known as Eveliina Makinen after her marriage in 2021, she’s currently playing in Switzerland.
From stopping pucks to saving lives
USA's Sidney Peters #29 looks on during a play stoppage during gold medal action at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship.
photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Phillip MacCallum
Not everybody stayed in hockey. Team USA goalie Sidney Peters set a shut-out record, going 179:47 without allowing a goal in the 2013 tournament. The record was only beaten this week by current American goaltender Morgan Stickney. However, Peters’ path took her away from hockey after four successful years at the University of Minnesota.
During her studies, she clocked up more than 800 hours of voluntary service, including a spell in Haiti, an experience that inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. Specifically military medicine. By 2018 she was the latest winner of the Hockey Humanitarian Award and a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, about to enrol as a medical student at the Uniformed Services University.
During her studies, she clocked up more than 800 hours of voluntary service, including a spell in Haiti, an experience that inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. Specifically military medicine. By 2018 she was the latest winner of the Hockey Humanitarian Award and a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, about to enrol as a medical student at the Uniformed Services University.