East St. Paul’s Hayley McDonald has earned another opportunity to wear the maple leaf, being named to Canada’s under-18 national women’s roster as she continues a hockey journey shaped by persistence and preparation.
The selection follows two seasons of development at RHA Kelowna. McDonald said she learned of her selection shortly after a game with her winter team.
“I had so many thoughts go through my head,” McDonald said. “Some being that all my hard work has paid off, but also that there’s so much more work to do.”
The chance carries added significance, as few players are selected to the under-18 program more than once.
“There aren’t a lot of girls who get the chance to wear the maple leaf twice at this age,” she said.
Pulling on a Team Canada jersey is something McDonald has envisioned since childhood, and she said reaching that milestone has only sharpened her focus.
“Now that I’ve made that dream come true, it makes me hungry to continue working hard and keep making teams at different age levels,” she said.
McDonald’s path to the national program began at home, where she played minor hockey with boys due to a lack of girls’ teams at the time. She credits that experience — and her parents’ support — as formative.
“I’m very thankful my parents put me in boys hockey, because I don’t think I would have turned out as the hockey player I am today,” she said.
When she transitioned to girls hockey in Grade 9, McDonald said the pace and competitiveness felt familiar.
“I felt that I was one of the strongest players on the team as a freshman,” she said.
As her career has progressed, McDonald said her training has become increasingly detailed, with a growing emphasis on mental preparation.
“I’ve really started to focus on the mental side of hockey,” she said. “You always hear it’s 20 per cent physical and 80 per cent mental, and I didn’t realize how true that was until a couple of years ago.”
Preparing for higher levels has meant raising expectations across the board.
“Every time I train with my team, I push myself to be better than yesterday,” she said.
McDonald said her parents — particularly her father — have played a central role in her development, along with role models at the elite level of the women’s game. She looks to Marie-Philip Poulin as a standard for her own play.
“She is the best female hockey player,” McDonald said. “One day I hope to be as good as her.”
Her journey has not been without challenges. McDonald said being the only girl in boys hockey came with scrutiny, but also strengthened her resolve.
“I didn’t get special treatment — I worked very hard for everything I earned,” she said.
Looking ahead, McDonald said her focus is shifting toward preparation for NCAA hockey.
“That means tuning everything up — on the ice and off the ice,” she said. “I like being prepared and over-prepared.”
For young players with similar goals, McDonald said belief remains the foundation.
“No dream is too big or too small,” she said, recalling advice she once received. “You might get told that you can’t — but you absolutely can.”
McDonald will next compete at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, set for Jan. 10–18 in Sydney and Membertou, N.S.. Canada opens the preliminary round on Jan. 10 against Switzerland at the Membertou Sport & Wellness Centre, kicking off its title defence on home ice before the tournament progresses toward the medal rounds.
