In February, Laila Edwards will compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics for the United States’ women’s hockey team.
The 2026 Winter Olympics is in the perfect month for United States women’s hockey star Laila Edwards.
As some of the country stops to pay homage to Black heroes of the past, Edwards is a walking and breathing hero who will make history as the first Black woman to play hockey for her country in the Winter Olympics.
Edwards said, “It still hasn’t really kicked in yet. Getting that call is like a dream come true. Always had dreams of playing in the pros, but the biggest dream was to go (to) the Olympics, for sure.”
Nhari Djan of The Grio reported, “A Black woman is making Olympic history for the USA’s women’s ice hockey team.
“At 21 years old, Laila Edwards will be joining the national team at this year’s Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina, becoming the first Black woman to do so.
“A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Edward’s career on the ice began as just a toddler. She first started figure skating at three-years-old, switching to hockey at five, and she had to play on boys’ teams since there weren’t programs for girls where she lived. Eventually, she began a more serious relationship with the sport in the eighth grade when she moved from Ohio to New York to play for an elite program at Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester.
“She is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin, playing for both the school’s and the national women’s hockey teams. The official Olympic website called her a ‘rare two-way player who can contribute in both defense and as a forward.’”
Earl Austin, Jr. of The St. Louis American reported, “She led the Badgers [to] a pair of NCAA national championships in 2023 and 2025. She scored 35 goals during her junior season in 2025 to lead Wisconsin to the national title. In her first three years at Wisconsin, the 6’1” forward has scored a total of 69 goals. After her sophomore year in 2024, she was the recipient of the USA Hockey Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year Award.”
While Edwards will make history next month at the Olympics, she has already made history leading up to this occasion.
At 19-years-old, Edwards became the first Black woman to become a part of the U.S. hockey team.
That same season, the history-making trailblazer won the International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship.
The next year at 20-years-old, she became the youngest player from America to win the Most Valuable Player Award at the women’s hockey world championships.
Edwards is not oblivious to how unique it is to be a Black woman starring in the predominantly White sport of hockey, often writing about her experiences in Wisconsin’s “Forging Firsts” series.
She has said that she always tried to “blend in” although she “always stood out” on the ice, especially when competing against males.
Edwards wrote, “I assumed this would go away when I started playing on an all-girls team at the boarding school, but it didn’t. While I loved my team, there were moments—like when they shared my makeup routines—that highlighted my difference; none of the products they used matched my skin tone. Early on, all of this made it challenging for me to find myself and who I was comfortable being.”
She added that even with her success, she fears that her identity will overshadow her success on the ice.
Edwards added, “Will others see the sacrifices and dedication that got me here? Will they understand the discipline demanded to attend 5am practices or the courage required to leave my loved ones to pursue my passion?”
The hockey phenom will make history 68 years after Willie O’Ree of the Boston Bruins made history by becoming the first Black player in the National Hockey League (NHL) on Jan. 18, 1958.
On a profile for the History website, “On January 18, 1958, Willie O’Ree of the Boston Bruins takes to the ice for a game against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first Black player to play in the National Hockey League (NHL).
“Born in 1935 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, O’Ree was the son of a civil engineer, in one of Fredericton’s only two Black families. He began skating at the age of three, and joined a nearby hockey league when he was only five. During five years playing with his older brother on teams in Fredericton, O’Ree became known as one of the best players in New Brunswick. After one season with the Quebec Frontenacs of the Quebec Junior Hockey League, he joined the Kitchener Canucks of the Ontario Hockey Association Junior ‘A’ Hockey League, setting a career-high mark of 30 goals during the 1955-56. That year, a puck struck O’Ree in the right eye during a game, robbing him of 95 percent of the vision in that eye.”
According to The African American Encyclopedia, “In the 1960-1961 season, O’Ree played forty-three games, making four goals and ten assists. He then played in the minor leagues for nineteen years, including a seven-year stint with the Los Angeles Blades.”
