(Above: Raw video – Shannon Szabados speaks to media following the Oilers practice)
EDMONTON – Canada’s Olympic gold medal winning goaltender, Shannon Szabados, hit the ice to practice with the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday morning.
Coach Dallas Eakins called Szabados after the Oilers’ game Tuesday night and asked if she wanted to join Wednesday’s practice.
The Team Canada goalie said she was “on cloud nine.”
“As a hockey player, and as a female hockey player, you just want to be seen as a hockey player and as a goalie, and that’s what I felt like today.”
“The Oilers welcomed me with open arms,” she added, “just another player on the ice with a little longer hair than the rest of them.”
The last few weeks have been filled with milestones for the 27-year-old athlete. She helped the women’s hockey team win a gold medal at the Sochi Olympics, beating rivals Team USA in a stunning come-from-behind victory.
“Not a bad week and a half I must say,” she said. “Gold medal in Sochi and practising with the Oilers. Doesn’t get much better.”
READ MORE: Canada vs USA: Women’s Olympic hockey gold medal game
The Oilers welcomed Szabados into the fold Wednesday.
Forward Taylor Hall said Szabados “easily held her own” during the practice.
When Oilers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was traded to the Minnesota Wild Tuesday, there was a social media push to have Szabados serve as the team’s backup goalie.
Within 30 minutes, that tweet had been retweeted 444 times.
However, the Oilers announced it would be Kurtis Mucha, of the University of Alberta Golden Bears, who would be backing up Ben Scrivens in goal.
Watch below: Kevin Karius has details on Szabados’ day in net and the trades the Oilers made Wednesday
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