Laila Edwards is a trailblazer. Not only did the Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native become the first Black woman to make the United States Olympic women’s hockey team, but she also became the first Black American to win Olympic gold in hockey on Thursday, as the USWNT defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime.
The 22-year-old, who plays both forward and defense, had eight points (2g, 6a) in seven games and was named to the Olympic women’s All-Star Team as a defender. Her biggest moment came on the biggest stage of them all, in the gold-medal game, when she connected with Team USA captain Hilary Knight on the game-tying goal with two minutes and four seconds remaining in the third period.
Not only did Edwards become a bona fide star on the world stage, but she also got to do it in front of her family, too, after two other star athletes from her hometown, Jason and Travis Kelce, raised $10k to cover their travel and lodging via a GoFundMe.
Laila even has a local connection. While she follows all of Cleveland’s major sports teams, like the Guardians, Cavaliers, and Browns, her favorite hockey team is the Washington Capitals.
“Like when we [lost] in the playoffs last year, I was in shambles,” Edwards told ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark in a feature story before the Olympics. “I was just pissed off for an hour. Maybe I wasn’t in shambles. That’s dramatic. But I was definitely upset. It was so hard for me to watch the rest of the playoffs.”
Yes, Laila calls the Washington Capitals “we” as if she’s a part of the team. That’s how deep the fandom runs for her.
In the story, Bobby, her older brother, also revealed that Laila and her older sister, Chayla, all played hockey together at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, taping their sticks like Ovechkin and trying to mimic his style of play.
“I couldn’t do that, but Laila was able to do it,” Bobby said. “She would go through her legs.”
While Laila’s love is with the Capitals, she would end up wearing the colors of the club’s biggest rival as she got older. After playing for the Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks and Cleveland Barons — two youth boys’ teams — she suited up with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Girls hockey program.
Later in her life, she made her love of the Capitals and Ovechkin permanent with a tattoo on her left ankle. In block lettering, she had “GR8” written, which is one of the “10 or 11” tattoos that she has on her body.
Laila hasn’t met the NHL’s all-time goals leader yet, but one of her most prized collectibles is an autographed Ovi jersey.
“I don’t know what I would say,” Edwards said of a potential link-up. “I wouldn’t want to be too fangirly and say, ‘Oh my god, I’m your biggest fan.’ I don’t want to do all that. But I would want him to know how big of an impact that he made on my hockey career.”
Laila certainly, at times, looked like Ovechkin out on the Olympic ice, dekeing around players and throwing huge shots on goal from the left circle. And one day, if they ever meet, she can maybe let him hold her gold medal – the only major thing that’s eluded him in his highly decorated hockey career.
