The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Erin Ambrose on Milan, Heated Rivalry, and More

Episode Date: January 12, 2026

Erin Ambrose, who reflects on being selected to the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team for Milan, the challenges surrounding arena situations, her preparation for the Olympic stage, her current season in the PWHL, and what lies ahead as the countdown to the Games continues.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/caReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@FNBarnBurner🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She's been standing by patiently and probably bored by this conversation. She's the great Aaron Ambrose, member of Team Canada's Olympic efforts once again, and she joins us once again on the sheet. Hello, Aaron. Sorry to bore you while you waited for us. You got to get all of our devils out. You love this stuff as much as a rumors and innuendos, contract squabbles. It's why we cover hockey, isn't it? I was sitting here being like, well, we don't have no trade clauses yet.

We don't have this drama yet. I think we're in a pretty good spot. No GM has had to write explanatory the notes about internet rumors about any of the players on the victoire. Like, it's just, we're just going out there and we're playing hockey and we're making people. Sunshine and rainbows over here. Yes.

Well, then, okay, well, listen, thanks for joining us. This has been a delightful conversation. Best of that, let me listen. First of all, congratulations. Once again, no surprise to anyone, 23 rides. for Team Canada once again, and confirm or deny all through the rivalry series, Canada was just playing possum.

Wow. Are you supposed to be my friend? I am. And I'm trying to give Canada like a nice little sort of like, this was the agenda the whole time. He's pretending that you've lulled the Americans into a false sense of security. Yes.

That's what you guys are just saying, right? Like hockey, that's what happens. When somebody's supposed to win, the hockey gods come out and the New Jersey Devils will win in Minnesota tonight. So if that's what you want to believe, then that's what we'll go.

Now listen. Yeah. Go wish. Go. Okay. So here's what I want. We're still animosity level right now between Canada and the U.S.

on a scale of one to 10. I think it's a, like, in a weird spot because of the PWHL. Like before the PWHL existed, when we had the CWHL, like there was that hatred, but now with the PW, like we're friends with a lot of them. And I have a lot of respect for them. But as soon as we get into our national team stuff,

and when we're wearing Canadian and American jerseys, I'd say it's probably a good solid 10 out of 10. It's, I always tell this story. And she has, to Cassie's benefit, and much to my chagrin, She's never told me who this player was. But I remember asking her about, we talk about Salt Lake and the double gold by Canada. I remember Salt Lake and the double gold by Canada.

And we were talking about motivation and the rivalry between the two. And she said the one thing that in one of the handshake lines, after one of the world championships, after the United States won the world championship, one of the players said to her, bitches never win. And she wrote that down and she put it in her stall.

And every game she played, she had that. And that was like the motivation or one of the motivations for Cassie all throughout hockey leading right into Salt Lake. Is there still, to put another accent on Grace's question,

is there still like that level of animosity between the two teams? Because back then, I mean, those games, man, Like that Salt Lake Final was like one of the best games ever played. You know, male, female, animal, vegetable, one of the best games ever played. And I just think like those teams hated each other.

Hated. I think there's just more of a human aspect to it now. And this is me personally talking. I think, Jeff, from what you know of me, I'm not exactly one that has a lot of hate in my body. Nope. So getting to know the Americans as people, not just as the Americans anymore, you just see more and more of them as human beings. And it does, I think, take away that side of it, that the 98, the 0206, I would say probably 2010 is when it started, not shift, but changed a little bit.

but there's definitely some players on the Americans that I hate without any hesitation thinking about it. It's just something that I hate all of them once we get the jerseys on, but there's definitely... I'm trying to laugh over that clip because it's such a great clip, too. It's like that's like the perfect... But that's part of the thing that attracts people to this matchup, right? And I know like a lot of the rest of the...

the world is catching up and I've gone out the door to talk about Finland for example and where they're at and other countries too. But this is still one of those. Like it's rare that something that people expect to happen can still deliver the way a Canada U.S. final can. Like we expect this all the time and it's always good. And to Greg's point earlier about like, oh, the hockey of it all, that doesn't happen in hockey. Normally when we expect something big, it's always like, eh, it was just okay. But this one always delivers. Always.

Yeah. Like I think about world championships, Olympic, like in 22, like all of them, like are games that you're just like, how the heck did that happen? Like you look at our world championship loss last year in Czechia and it was like an overtime thriller again.

You look at the Utica game. I think the Utica gold medal game was one of the craziest best hockey games I've ever been a part of. Six five, I think it was in overtime. like just it was an onslaught of offense, which isn't something that we usually see between us two when we go off against each other.

And I think that like it was a back and forth game that I think every fan sat there at the end of it and was like, wow, that was a hell of a hockey game. Six to five, by the way, is the Canadian score, 1972, 1987. Just want to throw that in for a little bit of spice. Go ahead, Greg. We deal with anything. So, I mean, to your point, Aaron, like, it's really funny to think back to four nations last year. and like people pretending that they discovered gold with the USA Canada rivalry.

Like where are you guys in? Like the women launched the rivalry series with it. They launched a league basically based on the USA Canada rivalry. Like it's it's incredible to me that all of a sudden we're like, oh, this is the easiest sell in all of sports. I'm like, yeah, no shit. The women have been selling it for at least 15 years. Yeah. You know, I wanted actually bring it back to the PWHL for a second because I found your comment interesting.

When you talk about the camaraderie, kind of maybe sanding the edges off the rivalry a little bit, is that a function of now being teammates on professional teams with the Americans? Or is it more about like all of you are now in service of something greater than yourselves and so far as building this league and trying to establish it? Or is it a mix of both? I would say a mix of both. And I would say that it kind of started with the PWHPA because you look at, there was nothing but respect for, especially us and the Americans sitting there and being like,

hey, we're not doing anything until we get a league that we truly deserve. To see, obviously, Mary Truly planned, Hillary Knight, Kendall Coyne, Spofield, like those three are three of the best female hockey players to ever, ever play this game, and they sat out years of their prime of their career. And those three have brought our sport to a whole new level that I don't think can ever be thanked enough to all three of them for putting aside their own personal interests in the here and now because it has paid off so well with the PWHL. And like I played on Team Sonnet with Hillary Knight, Abby Rock, Nicole Hensley.

I was with Jenner and Claire Thompson and Mike Azandy Hart as well. But it was like that was the first time I really got to see a lot of those Americans. And then now with the PWHL, like me being teammates with Kayla Barnes last year, she is a wonderful human being and I never knew Kayla before I knew of her but only of playing against her the whole time throughout my entire career so to get to play with her last year

her and I would drive together and drop our dogs off at our dog sitter and she was one of my closest friends in the team and now it's like okay when we see each other yeah we say hi but at the same time there's a switch that has to be flipped and it's hatred when we're on the ice but at the same time, a lot of respect and love for somebody solely as a human being. Okay, let's stick with that for one second and take it to the PWHL.

So I think a lot of people were surprised, and I'm curious, like, as a teammate watching this, how you felt about it then, how you feel about it now. There are a lot of people surprised to see Abbey Rock in Montreal, knowing how the intense and man maybe the best head I've ever seen thrown the PWHL is Marie Philippe Pallant on Abbey Rock watching people like a lot of people running how is this going to work now I say that she did she like to her full credit she got up I'm like man you just got dropped and she's just up like oh this is awesome um and I say that naively because this has been happening on the men's side

forever. So maybe I'm just being naive and you can tell me that. But I think just considering how that rivalry was, like it seemed like, man, these two really hate each other. And now they're going to share the same room and the same ice, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. When you first heard about it, what did you think? And did you think there was ever going to be any sort of like, okay, let's see how these two mixed moments?

First off, you are naive, Jeff. Tell them that every day. But it's exactly what. Like, It happens all the time in the NHL, and I just think that we're not used to it on the women's game. I think everybody sits there and goes, oh, women are so catty. They hold grudges, blah, blah, blah. But at the end of the day, we're competitors. And I think if you look at it, like, we all understand and know how to compete against one another on the ice.

And for the most part, there's obviously outliers, which same as in the NHL, there's outliers that don't know how to separate things and keep it kind of coming or don't let it stay on the ice. it carries on with them after that. And between Abby and Poo, no, there was no hesitation whatsoever. There was no concern whatsoever. You look at Poo and the leader that she is. And again, I got to play with Abby with Teams on it. And it was like, Abby is the first person to literally galvanize an entire group and be like, we're going here.

Let's go as a group. And it's been pretty seamless to be able to do that with Poo. So not a lot of people are able to kind of galvanize and get Poo and Stace and all the older girls to go out for drinks and stuff like that. that, but Abby has that ability. What are your thoughts on the barn? Our friends in Italy are currently raising for the Olympics. I'm sure you might have caught some of our friend Chris Johnston's tweets from Milan over the weekend.

You're not following that, that are you? Aaron. It looks like you're so past that. It does look like there's ice, which is good. It has a couple holes, but whatever, that makes it more fun. It doesn't look like it has locker rooms, which is a tough look. Ah. And he's like playing timbets again.

Just get dressed in the car. Get dressed at home. Do you put your skates on at the rank? It is because of you two people that this has become such a big thing. Because every two years, not even every four years, every two years, every two years, there are an Olympic Games. Some sort of issue arises. Something has not done at time.

Something has done at the very last minute, no matter what. No matter where the games are, what country, what state, the country is in, anything. But because the NHL players, are now going back to the Olympics for the first time in 14 years, is it? I don't actually know. Sochi was last on that was 2014. So that's 12 then. No.

So because the first time the NHL players are going back, there's so much more media that's around this to pick this up and to give it traction. And we know what happens when media gets a hold of things. Traction starts to get going and we'll start to spin. Like, is the rink going to be done? Yes. Is the ice already done?

Yes. Was there a hole in the ice? Yes. But if you saw a little bit more about it, it was actually just like matter of the game and there was a hole. And then somebody kind of blew that out of proportion that there was a huge crate in the middle of the ice. And that's what the hole was.

I'm going to Olympics. I could not care less if I have to get dressed on a school bus. I am going to be playing in the Olympic Games. And there is no bigger honor than that. And I have no concern that things won't get done in time. In fairness, and I've covered four Olympics, winter and summer, usually it's like we had to build a velodrome for the bike races, and that's not done.

This is a hockey arena. This is an ice arena. This is like the main thing that you need for the Winter Olympics outside of mountains with snow. That's why I think it's getting a little bit more attention to anything else. I agree with you. I think the NHL is involved. But like if this was a bunch of college kids going over to play over there, I doubt they send Chris Johnson to look at the holes in the ice.

Or if it was just right on that. Or if it was just correct. Yeah. But that being said, I mean, I am, as someone who agrees with you, I do think that people forget like, you know, they didn't have the color of the water right in Brazil until like the last minute. You know, there's like a ton of things that happened every Olympics. This one's a little bit weird for me because one, you know,

they don't have the facilities done yet. But two, it's more important for me. though, Aaron, is like they've not had the ample time to test this thing like they do in previous Olympics. And that's the issue for me. But I completely agree that it's getting more scrutiny because of who's involved. Yes. And I think like the other thing that I also talk about is like, or I haven't talked about it, because this is the first time I've actually been asked about it. But shockingly, is everybody like, oh, the men's games start on, I think it's February 9th. We have games there before that. Like it's not February 9th as a dead

We have a hockey tournament before the men's tournament starts. Like there are two tournaments simultaneously happening and we're actually ahead of it. So it's like, yeah, February 9th is the day that they start, but we have games there starting, I think, on the fourth of fifth. Okay, let me, let me pick up on something with that. So, like, I'm not saying like, okay, it's a surface with like cones on the ice where you're not allowed to skate because it's too dangerous. But like, what's the worst rink that you've played in?

where you look to yourself and go like, this would never happen on the men's side. This would never happen on the men's side. Is there a one? I know you're thinking like, oh, I don't want to bury them, but go for it,

bury them. What's the rank that comes to mind? You're like, oh, I can't believe we played on that. I wouldn't say bury them. Like, um,

I would just say different. Like, not cones on the ice, not ice quality. Like, I've had some awful ice quality. And it's not even, it wasn't even a PWHL's,

uh, venue or anything like that. it was like a men's team, pro team's venue and the ice was one of the most atrocious things I've ever skated on. That's another story. But I would say the most difficult or I guess different ice surface I've competed on was our world championships in Herning, Denmark. And I think that there's a pro team, the Herning team plays out of there. Actually, a former Clarkson Golden Knight plays there, Kevin Tansy, shout out Tans. but they talked about the neutral zone in Italy being smaller,

like from what the photos and everything are looking like. Herning, I kid you not, the center circle, like, touched the blue lines. What? Yes, there was no neutral zone. It was the craziest thing. Like, you, if I got the puck, like, I always stand, like, on the blue line at a neutral zone face off. Like, I was still on the circle. So, you know what?

It was no shorter. It was just ozone were that much bigger. They just took away the neutral. So listen, part of me, this is like, you know,

from God's lips to my ears. Like, I'm thinking like, I watch the NHL now and every team stacks the neutral zone with 1-1-3. And I'm just like,

oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, do we have to keep watching this? And I'm thinking, like, whatever we can do

to make the neutral zone inconsequential or smaller, let's do that. And I know that I'm saying that to a defender. So I, I understand the sensitivity around what might come out of your mouth next. But what do you think of that idea?

I'm fine with shrinking that neutral zone. I am. It just is like I'm fine if it happens in more than one rank. I think the hardest thing is when you go there, like at least we played a whole tournament there because you're sitting there as a D and you're like, I can't even gap up to the blue line because they're already coming back down my throat. It's just a weird thing to get adjusted to.

And I think it'll be the same thing in Milan. Like that neutral zone does look a little bit smaller. I don't think it's like substantially different. You can see a little bit of a little bit of shrunkness to it. And I think that that's something that's going to change games and just change the way that you're kind of able to hold lines and make difficult reads and be more aggressive. I don't know.

I kind of like the Denmark set up where the face off comes out of the zone and everybody just takes two strides through left. It was crazy though because you're in the ozone and you're like, like at the blue line you're like wow I got so much time in space and then you look and you're like where is the net like I can't see the net from all the way oh it's so funny that's funny last one for me Aaron um this is on my mind because I was watching the golden globes last night and the boys were on it has a heated rivalry permeated into the PWHL locker rooms being the sensation of North America. I think like we were like episode by episode talking

about it and then we'd have to throw out spoilers um we were actually able to have uh the artist the author of the books come in and reen our lineup when we're in halifax which was so incredible like i oh yeah yeah and i just like i don't read books and i think it was on our road trip when we went halifax so it was would have been after our halifax game then went vancouver seattle i read both heated robbery, like heated robbery, and then the long game in less than probably 72 hours, and I don't read.

Wow. Wow. Ambrose. What's been your reaction to the, what's been your reaction to the reaction, not only the media of surrounding the show, but also kind of like the implications for hockey culture aspect that people are talking about. I actually sent a text to Dan Powers,

empty netters, guys. And I said to Dan, I said this doesn't, this shouldn't need to be said, but I said thank you, Dan, for giving this a platform, for giving my community a platform that in, quote-unquote, his world, the hockey world, we don't often get that platform. And it was kind of an emotional text, but at the same time, he just responded and he was like, well, why wouldn't I love you? I love who you are.

And not to mention this is just a phenomenal show, it doesn't matter. Like Jeff always says best game man, woman, animal food. It's the same thing with this show. Oh, sorry, vegetable. Sorry. Get it. Get my cliches right, Ambrose. I'm sorry.

But I just, I think it's so important that the conversation still like continues to happen and wish like for you to be talking about it. Like I appreciate that. Like it's not like you're somebody that is extremely engaged and involved in the LGBT plus community all the time. but for somebody with a platform within the NHL space to be talking about heat of rivalry, it's super important. So thank you.

I appreciate that. And I think part of the fun for me in watching the show, not only, like you said, is a fantastic show, but it's also fun to kind of see the hockey media aspects of it. Like a big discussion for myself and a lot of my colleagues is like how would we have handled the Scott Hunter moment after they win the cup, right? Like, you know, joking ground about like Pierre LeBron asking 28 general managers, their thoughts on the kiss. You know, it's just like, how would the media have handled that moment?

And it's been, it's on the floor. Right. Yeah, yeah. Like, part of my, part of the fun for me is also kind of like putting myself in these situations and wondering what it would be, what would be the real, the real world implications of some of the things that are happening in this show. But I appreciate that. I, I, uh, I love it.

And I'm so happy that it's, it's become the breakout hit that it's become. It's pretty cool. I will say, uh, there have been some comments by us in the dressing room when like, Shane does his look back at Elia when they're playing against each other, and he, like, connects eyes. And we're like, really? Like, that does not. You can't be doing that.

Focus. Enemy's on the eye, hollander. Focus. Right. Right, exactly. Let me close on this. I got a DM about this from someone saying, can you ask Aaron Ambrose about the Washington game on Sunday?

So, PWA, Takeover Tour continues. It is New York facing off against a Montreal, Victoria, your squad. A thought ongoing. to watch, listen, I think we're all doing the stick the thermometer in the different markets and see where this league is going next. You and I have talked plenty about this on the air about some of the markets you've got like last year with Seattle and Vancouver and those were layups. Denver, Edmonton, Washington this weekend, Halifax, Quebec City popped a big number. All the numbers have been big.

What do you expect in Washington on Sunday? Well, first of all, we're going to have to get me back on with the two of you to be able to talk more about this stuff. And I might have to send some texts and make sure you guys are keeping an eye on what could be happening with expansion moving forward. But I'm super excited for Washington. I've got my cousins, my aunts, uncles are coming. They've got 18 tickets. So I know that myself, my teammate scams are going to have a lot of people there. and I've never actually played a hockey game in Washington.

Really? Yeah, we've had the PWHPA, but I wasn't there for that one. But even for the PWHPA, it was a great turnout. And I know that the Caps organization did a great job of hosting us then. So I'm beyond excited. We fly out on Friday, so we get there early. We've got an open practice on Saturday. I love to takeover to our games.

It's a lot of fun to be able to play in and something that I'm just really looking forward to in Washington and kind of getting to see their organization and how they do some things. So you mentioned scams. So that's Haley Skamura, who Greg, you'll like this one,

whose father played parts of three seasons with the Washington Capitals. And I believe was the first player ever drafted from Buffalo. Or maybe the first player from Buffalo to play in the N-A-D. Oh, yeah, no, she comes by this like historically,

scams does. Yeah, Haley-Skimer. And you say this on a day where they're announcing the draft for Buffalo. It's a full-tun-d-d-d-da. I know, a full-circle moment. Look at us. I'm such a professional.

Well, on that, we'll let you go and continue with your day. Have another one, Greg? I was going to say something. I was just going to say the same thing I said to Pete DeBoer last week when we had him on. I wish you all the luck in the world in Milan, just not all of it when you play the U.S. You know, that's all I'm going to say. All I want is to see that match up again. I'll be a happy boy.

Hopefully it turns out a right. for the U.S., but I've come to understand in the Olympics that, look, we mentioned Poo Lam before. Man, she kills me. She's so damn good. As a New York Jets, I have a relationship with Poo like I had watching Tom Brady as a New York Jets fan. Just like, just take your foot off our neck. Will you please? Let us breathe.

You're just too good. Not anytime soon, please. All right. All the best to you. All the best to Henry. Where is Henry, by the way? So first time we've done an interview and he hasn't barked. Henry over there?

Yeah, he's tired. He played in the snow today. Oh, okay. We'll let Henry sleep. All right, you'd be good. Aaron, congratulations again. And looking forward to takeover tour Sunday in Washington as you face off against New York. You'd be good.

We'll talk soon. Thank you, guys.