February 10, 2026 • 11 mins
Today we highlight the accomplishments and firsts of US hockey player Laila Edwards.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, this is Anny and Samantha.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm not kind of stuff. Never told you production if
I hurd you.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
And the twenty twenty sixth Winter Olympics are in full
swing and then the Paralympics will be coming soon in March.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I was like, oh, when is this happening?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
So we had to do a feature on one of
the athletes who is representing the United States as well
as making history as one of the first you know,
we love those titles, even though we're like, why did
it take this long?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
But you know whatever, we'll go with.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
It for our activist around the world, and we are
talking about hockey player Laila Edwards, and again she has
done a few firsts, but we are specifically talking about
the Olympics right now. So Laila Edwards has made history
being the first black player to suit up for the
US Olympic hockey team and playing and actually playing. She
(01:00):
is a twenty two year old who's been playing hockey
four years, like years and years and years and years.
You know. Apparently she kind of figure skated for a
little bit and decided to change that up for herself.
And for this episode, we'll be using a bit of
information from her feature from ESPN, who has done a
great job in telling her story.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Like it is a very lengthy article. I love that.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I don't think we have enough of those features for
specifically like our marginalized athletes who have done some amazing things.
So I love to see it. So kudos and shout
out to that because it is a great article.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
You should read it. It feels like a good five
minute read.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Wonderful though so much like many of the other successful
athletes and competitors. Edwards was born into a family of athletes.
Her father played everything from basketball, football, you know, all
the things, but at the age of twelve, he began
his adventure in hockey. He was raised in Cleveland Heights
in Ohio, and it was there that the Edward's children
(01:57):
and his children, including Leila, started there hockey journey. I mean,
every single one of the siblings play hockey, any all
of them. I feel like it's one of those things
that they all like has to compete with each other
but also encourage each other.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I love them.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
From the ESPN article written by Ryan S. Clark, he
writes the Cleveland Heights Community Center became a powerful bridge
for the Edwards family, giving the children a chance to
explore the sport in familiar setting. Bobby, the oldest of
the three siblings, played basketball before switching to hockey. Layla
joined her older sister Sheila on the ice for fisure skating.
They change out of their leotards and tutus and go
(02:31):
to a different part of the community center where they
put on paz and jerseys to play hockey against the boys.
And they apparently have a younger brother who is.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Also in hockey just in Fyi.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
So the article talks about some of the challenges they
faced in a predominantly white sport within a predominantly white
community growing up in the same area during his childhood.
Robert Edwards talked about his own experience dealing with racism
and prejudice, which Layla had to face as well during
her own childhood, and with that play in the sport
that is often seen as a man's sport, she competed
(03:02):
a lot with the boys.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
It was interesting to read.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Too, because apparently she was really tall, because she's about
I believe six feet, so she is a presence and
she kind of has always been, to the point that
they would put her up with older kids to compete with,
and she did well, she held her own, she proved.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Herself so a lot of things.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
She has talked about her own influence and being an
inspiration to others and talked about some of the difficulties
as well. She told Olympics dot Com this, I think
it's tough to walk into a building and want to
do something you love when not many people look like you.
It can be a little nerve wracking and uncomfortable. But
I think once you see more and more people that
look like you and just enjoying the sport, it gives
you confidence. And she kind of goes on talking about
(03:42):
her representation for others who want to be players as well,
or something similar to. She says, I could not do
interviews or not talk about it, but then the story
doesn't get out there, and maybe a little girl doesn't
see me someone who looks like her. And I think
that's what's been important. And she's talked about like how
she feels responsible being a good representation as well as
(04:04):
just being present so that others know that they could
be a part of it too. So you know, we
love to see that and we've talked of many times
how representation.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Is so so important.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
She as well as her sister continued to excel in
hockey and would go on to different private schools to
enhance their abilities and opportunities. In her time playing for
Bishop Kearney, a private school in Rochester, New York, she
was able to grow her skills and help win the
national championship three times. From that ESPN article, they write
Edward was part of the three national championship teams at
(04:36):
Bishop Kearney. She's finished with one hundred and forty seven
goals and two hundred and sixty six assists for four
hundred and thirteen points in two hundred eighty seven games,
for a one point four to four points per game average.
In her senior season, she finished with thirty eight goals
and ninety seven points.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
It's a lot of numbers. This is allowed high numbers.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Know much about hockey, but I just also want to
celebrate the all of these things are happening, and in
my mind, there it's a push. I think we talked
about this in our previous episode with doctor Baith, who
also loves hockey and and she has coached hockey for
a long time, and how like watching women grow in
the sport is phenomenal. Of course, this is kind of
another reason we decided to talk about Edwards as well,
(05:19):
because we want to highlight how big it is growing.
But those numbers are incredible. Yeah, man, I would like
to see her play. We get to see her play again. Yeah,
I missed the first game or have her mini games.
I'm gonna have to look it up, y'all. I'm gonna
catch up. I don't watch the Olympics off that it
makes me nervous, but I feel like this is something
(05:39):
I need to be watching. She would then go on
to one of the best women's college hockey programs in
the country, University of Wisconsin the Badgers, where she joined
her sister Shyla.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Together they were a force.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
In fact, they won the twenty twenty three NCAA Championship
that year together, and in her sophomore year, Layla really
showed her talents. This is from her Wikipedia page. She
recorded twenty one goals and thirty five assists in forty
one games. In May of twenty twenty four, she was
named USA Hockey Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year.
I believe that next year she would be a finalist
(06:23):
for another award because she is that huge.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
And a bit more.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
From her ESPN articles, they write that season set her
up to play for Team USA at the twenty twenty
four IIHF Women's World Championship. She went as an extra
forward and scored six goals and eight points in seven games.
She was named the tournament MVP after sharing the tournament
lead in goals and helping the US to a silver
medal finish. And she just kept winning, helping to get
(06:49):
another national title in her junior year, leading the nation
with thirty five goals in an average of one point
seventy three points for twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five.
She is seen as one of the best hockey players
even till today.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Obviously, so.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Originally playing as a forward, she would soon move on
to a defensive position. Just an fi all. As you
can tell, I know nothing about hockey. So everything I'm
saying to at this point, I've gotten off of the research.
If I have something wrong, come and correct me, because
I'm not gonna be offended by anyone correcting me in
(07:23):
this specifically, Okay, So going on. Yeah, So she would
move on to a defensive position, which came with some
controversy so this is again from ESPN. They say moving
edwards to defense came with tactical challenges. There were also
questions about shifting a black woman out of her natural position,
similar to when football coaches would move black quarterbacks to
different positions because they were such good athletes, which again
(07:45):
we know there's a lot of connotations in like racial
microaggressions I think, in this type of assumptions, but we
also know that sports are different, and she had been
playing an offensive forward position the entirety of her careers.
It was noted that while she was in high school
in college she did play defensively every now and again,
(08:07):
but that wasn't her main position.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
So this is very different to have her move around.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
But apparently she really wanted to do this, and none
of this seems to be deterring her. I think they
had some issues and recalculating some things and having to
do any kind of good tactical planning, but her family
is right there and supporting her.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
In fact, the family is even more supportive.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Apparently they had a whole gofunding before the actual Olympics
to try to get the entire family too and be
able to see them and be able to stay there
and support her and with the help from the Kelseys. Travis,
A and Jason are from the same area, so this
is kind of a hometown love help raise some of
that money and get them there. So we love to
see it. We lives to see a community come together.
(08:52):
But with that, the family is there supporting her one
hundred and ten percent obviously, and again she is making history.
As we said, she is doing that all currently while
being watched by everyone in the Olympics. So this is
from Nbcolympics dot Com. It didn't take long for her
to make an impact in Milan. In the first period
of the United States first preliminary round against Cheschia, Edwards
(09:15):
came on the ice as a member of the team's
top powerplay unit. She gracefully moved in from the point
to this left circle to set up Alex Carpenter for
a scoring chance. When the rebound kicked back to Edwards,
she quickly fed Megan Killer for a one timer from
the point, which Carpenter deflected and to open the scoring
That was the only goal into the US tally. Twice
in the first four minutes and thirty six seconds of
(09:37):
the second period, pulling away in the first step of.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Their quest of gold. Yeah. So all of this is so.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Beautiful to see the way that people are celebrating how
she is playing, that she is breaking records, I believe. Also,
she was the first black woman to play for the
United States at the IHF World Women's Championship as well
in twenty twenty four, So she already knows that she
is a groundbreaker, history maker and has done so much
for our community, and we are rallying behind her. I
(10:08):
can't wait to actually catch these games. I'm gonna do it, y'all.
I'm a watch. I don't usually watch, but I'm a
watch because I want to see her play.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Absolutely. I was watching with my friends this past weekend,
and I forget every time how the commentators can be.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Oh no, not quite cruel.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well, the one that stands out to me is that
I was watching the ice skating and somebody said, what
an unpleasing position? I oh, wow, wowowow.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Where are they from, like a the Skating World or yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I didn't even have the sound on, so I just
looked up and I saw the subtitle no, and so
I don't but we had been watching it was sound
earlier and they were people from the Skating Worm. I
can't confirm, but yes, I think.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
So, but I'm like, oh my ooff anyway, yes uh
And as always, listeners, we love we know we have
some kind of Olympic correspondence.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Yeah, we love hearing from you. Any of your thoughts
please let us know. You can email us at Hello
at stuff Wedever Told You dot com. You can find
us on Blue skyt Mom Stuff Podcast, or on Instagram
and TikTok at Stuff I've Never Told You. We're also
on YouTube. We have some merchandise at cop hero and
we have a book you can get get your books.
Thanks as always too our super producer Christine or executive
(11:38):
pus My and your contributor Joey.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Thank you and thanks to you for
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Listening Stuff Never Told usquction to my Heart Radio for
more podcast from my Heart Radio, you can check out
the heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
Hey, this is Anny and Samantha.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I'm not kind of stuff. Never told you production if
I hurd you.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
And the twenty twenty sixth Winter Olympics are in full
swing and then the Paralympics will be coming soon in March.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I was like, oh, when is this happening?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
So we had to do a feature on one of
the athletes who is representing the United States as well
as making history as one of the first you know,
we love those titles, even though we're like, why did
it take this long?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
But you know whatever, we'll go with.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
It for our activist around the world, and we are
talking about hockey player Laila Edwards, and again she has
done a few firsts, but we are specifically talking about
the Olympics right now. So Laila Edwards has made history
being the first black player to suit up for the
US Olympic hockey team and playing and actually playing. She
(01:00):
is a twenty two year old who's been playing hockey
four years, like years and years and years and years.
You know. Apparently she kind of figure skated for a
little bit and decided to change that up for herself.
And for this episode, we'll be using a bit of
information from her feature from ESPN, who has done a
great job in telling her story.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Like it is a very lengthy article. I love that.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I don't think we have enough of those features for
specifically like our marginalized athletes who have done some amazing things.
So I love to see it. So kudos and shout
out to that because it is a great article.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
You should read it. It feels like a good five
minute read.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Wonderful though so much like many of the other successful
athletes and competitors. Edwards was born into a family of athletes.
Her father played everything from basketball, football, you know, all
the things, but at the age of twelve, he began
his adventure in hockey. He was raised in Cleveland Heights
in Ohio, and it was there that the Edward's children
(01:57):
and his children, including Leila, started there hockey journey. I mean,
every single one of the siblings play hockey, any all
of them. I feel like it's one of those things
that they all like has to compete with each other
but also encourage each other.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I love them.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
From the ESPN article written by Ryan S. Clark, he
writes the Cleveland Heights Community Center became a powerful bridge
for the Edwards family, giving the children a chance to
explore the sport in familiar setting. Bobby, the oldest of
the three siblings, played basketball before switching to hockey. Layla
joined her older sister Sheila on the ice for fisure skating.
They change out of their leotards and tutus and go
(02:31):
to a different part of the community center where they
put on paz and jerseys to play hockey against the boys.
And they apparently have a younger brother who is.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Also in hockey just in Fyi.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
So the article talks about some of the challenges they
faced in a predominantly white sport within a predominantly white
community growing up in the same area during his childhood.
Robert Edwards talked about his own experience dealing with racism
and prejudice, which Layla had to face as well during
her own childhood, and with that play in the sport
that is often seen as a man's sport, she competed
(03:02):
a lot with the boys.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
It was interesting to read.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Too, because apparently she was really tall, because she's about
I believe six feet, so she is a presence and
she kind of has always been, to the point that
they would put her up with older kids to compete with,
and she did well, she held her own, she proved.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Herself so a lot of things.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
She has talked about her own influence and being an
inspiration to others and talked about some of the difficulties
as well. She told Olympics dot Com this, I think
it's tough to walk into a building and want to
do something you love when not many people look like you.
It can be a little nerve wracking and uncomfortable. But
I think once you see more and more people that
look like you and just enjoying the sport, it gives
you confidence. And she kind of goes on talking about
(03:42):
her representation for others who want to be players as well,
or something similar to. She says, I could not do
interviews or not talk about it, but then the story
doesn't get out there, and maybe a little girl doesn't
see me someone who looks like her. And I think
that's what's been important. And she's talked about like how
she feels responsible being a good representation as well as
(04:04):
just being present so that others know that they could
be a part of it too. So you know, we
love to see that and we've talked of many times
how representation.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Is so so important.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
She as well as her sister continued to excel in
hockey and would go on to different private schools to
enhance their abilities and opportunities. In her time playing for
Bishop Kearney, a private school in Rochester, New York, she
was able to grow her skills and help win the
national championship three times. From that ESPN article, they write
Edward was part of the three national championship teams at
(04:36):
Bishop Kearney. She's finished with one hundred and forty seven
goals and two hundred and sixty six assists for four
hundred and thirteen points in two hundred eighty seven games,
for a one point four to four points per game average.
In her senior season, she finished with thirty eight goals
and ninety seven points.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
It's a lot of numbers. This is allowed high numbers.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Know much about hockey, but I just also want to
celebrate the all of these things are happening, and in
my mind, there it's a push. I think we talked
about this in our previous episode with doctor Baith, who
also loves hockey and and she has coached hockey for
a long time, and how like watching women grow in
the sport is phenomenal. Of course, this is kind of
another reason we decided to talk about Edwards as well,
(05:19):
because we want to highlight how big it is growing.
But those numbers are incredible. Yeah, man, I would like
to see her play. We get to see her play again. Yeah,
I missed the first game or have her mini games.
I'm gonna have to look it up, y'all. I'm gonna
catch up. I don't watch the Olympics off that it
makes me nervous, but I feel like this is something
(05:39):
I need to be watching. She would then go on
to one of the best women's college hockey programs in
the country, University of Wisconsin the Badgers, where she joined
her sister Shyla.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Together they were a force.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
In fact, they won the twenty twenty three NCAA Championship
that year together, and in her sophomore year, Layla really
showed her talents. This is from her Wikipedia page. She
recorded twenty one goals and thirty five assists in forty
one games. In May of twenty twenty four, she was
named USA Hockey Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year.
I believe that next year she would be a finalist
(06:23):
for another award because she is that huge.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
And a bit more.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
From her ESPN articles, they write that season set her
up to play for Team USA at the twenty twenty
four IIHF Women's World Championship. She went as an extra
forward and scored six goals and eight points in seven games.
She was named the tournament MVP after sharing the tournament
lead in goals and helping the US to a silver
medal finish. And she just kept winning, helping to get
(06:49):
another national title in her junior year, leading the nation
with thirty five goals in an average of one point
seventy three points for twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five.
She is seen as one of the best hockey players
even till today.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Obviously, so.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Originally playing as a forward, she would soon move on
to a defensive position. Just an fi all. As you
can tell, I know nothing about hockey. So everything I'm
saying to at this point, I've gotten off of the research.
If I have something wrong, come and correct me, because
I'm not gonna be offended by anyone correcting me in
(07:23):
this specifically, Okay, So going on. Yeah, So she would
move on to a defensive position, which came with some
controversy so this is again from ESPN. They say moving
edwards to defense came with tactical challenges. There were also
questions about shifting a black woman out of her natural position,
similar to when football coaches would move black quarterbacks to
different positions because they were such good athletes, which again
(07:45):
we know there's a lot of connotations in like racial
microaggressions I think, in this type of assumptions, but we
also know that sports are different, and she had been
playing an offensive forward position the entirety of her careers.
It was noted that while she was in high school
in college she did play defensively every now and again,
(08:07):
but that wasn't her main position.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
So this is very different to have her move around.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
But apparently she really wanted to do this, and none
of this seems to be deterring her. I think they
had some issues and recalculating some things and having to
do any kind of good tactical planning, but her family
is right there and supporting her.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
In fact, the family is even more supportive.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Apparently they had a whole gofunding before the actual Olympics
to try to get the entire family too and be
able to see them and be able to stay there
and support her and with the help from the Kelseys. Travis,
A and Jason are from the same area, so this
is kind of a hometown love help raise some of
that money and get them there. So we love to
see it. We lives to see a community come together.
(08:52):
But with that, the family is there supporting her one
hundred and ten percent obviously, and again she is making history.
As we said, she is doing that all currently while
being watched by everyone in the Olympics. So this is
from Nbcolympics dot Com. It didn't take long for her
to make an impact in Milan. In the first period
of the United States first preliminary round against Cheschia, Edwards
(09:15):
came on the ice as a member of the team's
top powerplay unit. She gracefully moved in from the point
to this left circle to set up Alex Carpenter for
a scoring chance. When the rebound kicked back to Edwards,
she quickly fed Megan Killer for a one timer from
the point, which Carpenter deflected and to open the scoring
That was the only goal into the US tally. Twice
in the first four minutes and thirty six seconds of
(09:37):
the second period, pulling away in the first step of.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Their quest of gold. Yeah. So all of this is so.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Beautiful to see the way that people are celebrating how
she is playing, that she is breaking records, I believe. Also,
she was the first black woman to play for the
United States at the IHF World Women's Championship as well
in twenty twenty four, So she already knows that she
is a groundbreaker, history maker and has done so much
for our community, and we are rallying behind her. I
(10:08):
can't wait to actually catch these games. I'm gonna do it, y'all.
I'm a watch. I don't usually watch, but I'm a
watch because I want to see her play.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Absolutely. I was watching with my friends this past weekend,
and I forget every time how the commentators can be.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Oh no, not quite cruel.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well, the one that stands out to me is that
I was watching the ice skating and somebody said, what
an unpleasing position? I oh, wow, wowowow.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Where are they from, like a the Skating World or yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I didn't even have the sound on, so I just
looked up and I saw the subtitle no, and so
I don't but we had been watching it was sound
earlier and they were people from the Skating Worm. I
can't confirm, but yes, I think.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
So, but I'm like, oh my ooff anyway, yes uh
And as always, listeners, we love we know we have
some kind of Olympic correspondence.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Yeah, we love hearing from you. Any of your thoughts
please let us know. You can email us at Hello
at stuff Wedever Told You dot com. You can find
us on Blue skyt Mom Stuff Podcast, or on Instagram
and TikTok at Stuff I've Never Told You. We're also
on YouTube. We have some merchandise at cop hero and
we have a book you can get get your books.
Thanks as always too our super producer Christine or executive
(11:38):
pus My and your contributor Joey.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Thank you and thanks to you for
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Listening Stuff Never Told usquction to my Heart Radio for
more podcast from my Heart Radio, you can check out
the heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
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