When Daniela Pejsova was six years old, she was introduced to hockey through her family.

The defender from Templice, Czechia was surrounded by the game as her father was a former player and coach, while her older brother also played. Their influence propelled Pejsova on to the ice.

“I had to play hockey too,” said Pejsova, now 22. “I was so scared of it. I started to play with the boys when I was six or seven, and then I played with the boys until I was 16. It was a good experience for me, and I liked to be around the team.”

Since then, Pejsova has become one of the elite defenders in the women’s game. Internationally, many have noted the Czechian defender’s feistiness, her prioritization of defending in her own zone, and her ability to seize opportunities to join offensive plays.

Over the past six seasons, Pejsova has been living and playing in Sweden. When she first arrived there in January 2019, it marked the first time she was away from her family. However, Pejsova quickly grew to appreciate Sweden’s culture and passion for hockey.

“When I got there, I was like, 'Yeah, this is it,'" she said.“I liked the culture in Sweden, the way they see hockey, and how they develop players. When I was playing before in Czechia, it was more like just going fast and shooting. It was not structured. Then, when I got to Sweden, I had to learn how to follow some tactics or strategies, and they helped me a lot with this and the skills.”

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNS IN SWEDEN

On the ice, Pejsova played her first four SDHL seasons with MODO. When Lulea made an offer to her to join their team in 2022, the Czech rearguard took it. But she was not sure if she was good enough to play alongside the likes of Jenni Hiirikoski, Petra Nieminen, Noora Tulus, Ronja Savolainen, Anna Kjellbin and Johanna Fallman. These were players that Pejsova looked up to as she forged her hockey path.

She also was aware of Lulea’s reputation as the perennial championship favourite.

“Lulea is known for winning gold, and the team means a lot in Sweden and the SDHL,” Pejsova said. “When I got there, I learned a lot from the players, including professionalism, listening to my body, and always working harder. I was nervous to go there and meet all those great players. When I got there, I fell in love with the city, the organization, and the people. It felt natural to me.”

During her two seasons with Lulea, Pejsova helped the team win back-to-back championships. Lulea now has won seven titles since 2016.

“Everyone thinks it was easy for us, but it isn't,” she said.  “It's never easy to win a championship. We always managed the problems we had through the season, so I'm proud of this team and that we won the gold.”

While Pejsova was grateful for the opportunity to play for a dynasty in Sweden, what she will take away from the two championship runs are the memories made with her teammates.

“Special memories are when the season is long, and then it's playoffs, and I could see that the vibe within the team just switched,” Pejsova said. “I experienced this in my first year when I saw how the team worked through the regular season. When the playoffs came, everyone switched and was doing their best, bringing the best energy in the locker room, and it was the best feeling I had those years.”

THE PWHL DRAFT AND NEXT CHAPTER IN BOSTON

During her playoff run this past spring with Lulea, Pejsova remained focused as something big was looming on the horizon. As she had no contract for the upcoming season, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) became a possibility for Pejsova. 

The 175-cm, 70-kg skater opted to declare for the draft with the help of her best friend, PWHL Montreal's Dominika Laskova, who also stars for the Czech national team.

“I was on the phone with Dominika, and I just thought, 'Okay, I'm going to sign up right now,'” she said. “She was like, “Okay,” so we did it together. She helped me fill out the forms and so on.”

Leading up to the PWHL Draft, Pejsova experienced a roller coaster of emotions, feeling both excited and nervous.

One team that was very high on Pejsova was PWHL Boston.  Not wanting to lose out on their chance, Boston traded up to select the defender seventh overall at the 2024 PWHL Draft. Pejsova was the first European selected in this draft.

“At first, I didn’t even know trades were allowed,” she said. “I heard that Boston asked for a trade, and I was like “What's going on?” Then, they went on the stage and called my name. I was in total shock, the world stopped, and I couldn't breathe. I went on autopilot. I hugged my friends and agent, and then I went up on the stage. In my head, I thought I went up so slowly, but then I watched the video, and I ran up fast! That is an experience I'm never going to forget.”

Pejsova had some familiarity with PWHL Boston as they were the first team to meet with her pre-draft.  After a productive conversation with general manager Danielle Marmer and some research, Pejsova got excited to call Boston home. She is already looking forward to new experiences on the ice and in the community.

“I looked at some pictures from the city and looked at some coffee shops because it's the thing I enjoy the most,” she said. “The team has great players, but this league has great, experienced players overal. It's an honour for me to play with them and against them. I’m excited to play with and meet everyone and see or experience this new life and culture.”

For Pejsova, this new chapter in Boston is reminiscent of when she moved to Sweden six years ago. It is an adjustment to a new team and league, but it will be her first overseas move. There are also adjustments to playing on the North American ice surface.

“It's going be a lot of changes for next season,” she said. “When I was in Sweden, I learned to look after myself. It will be on another level. I will see what comes and figure out the situation. I am preparing myself for that but not stressing about it.”

As for her first PWHL season, Pejsova has set one goal she hopes to achieve on and off the ice: “I want to always come to the rink, show my best, always try hard to help the team to achieve some goals, and represent the whole organization in a good way.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO HOSTING THE WORLD AT HOME

Next April will be a full-circle moment for Pejsova as Czechia hosts the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship for the first time ever. Enthusiasm for 2025 is building in Czechia.

“Everyone is already looking forward to it,” she said. “Everyone is telling me, 'Okay, we’re going to be there; we’re going to watch games.' People here in Czechia are excited about this world championship. I hope there are going to be a lot of fans."

Pejsova has experienced tremendous success at this tournament, leading Czechia to a pair of back-to-back bronze medals (2022, 2023).  In Utica this past April, Czechia earned fourth place after falling to Finland in a shootout for the bronze medal.

At the 2022 Women’s Worlds in Denmark, Pejsova emerged as arguably one of the elite defenders in the game. She finished in the top 10 scorers (5+4=9).  Pejsova was named Best Defender and made the all-star team.

While it would be a dream for Czechia to win gold on home soil this spring, Pejsova hopes this tournament and her hockey journey inspire the next generation to play sports, regardless of the final outcome.

“Every tournament we have, it doesn't matter if we are playing at home or outside of Czechia, the small girls who are starting to play hockey or want to play hockey are watching the games, and we always get a lot of messages from them, and it is just heartwarming,” she said.  “One of my bigger goals is to represent women’s hockey in Czechia so that girls want to do some sports. It doesn't have to be hockey, but do some sports, and don't be afraid to try it.”