Peninsula鈥檚 homegrown talent, Micah Zandee-Hart, is returning to New York with a silver medal from the 2025 IIHF Women鈥檚 World Hockey Championship, held in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.

While the ultimate goal after every international tournament is to bring home gold, Zandee-Hart was quick to acknowledge that silver still carries weight.

鈥淲hen you represent Canada in hockey, you want to come home with a gold medal,鈥� said the 28-year-old blueliner. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 easy to look at the colour of our medal and feel like the tournament was a bit of a disappointment, but that鈥檚 not really the case overall.鈥�

Zandee-Hart recorded one goal and one assist in seven games during the tournament. Her goal against Switzerland marked the first international goal of her career.

But her journey with Team Canada began long ago when she first represented the country at the 2014 U18 Women鈥檚 World Hockey Championship. Since then, she has played 62 games wearing the Canadian maple leaf, growing alongside some of the sport鈥檚 most iconic figures.

鈥淲hen I look back, I realize that players like Marie-Philip Poulin, Brianne Jenner, and Jocelyne Larocque kind of raised me in a sense,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey taught me what it meant to be a champion 鈥� the habits, the little things you do every day 鈥� knowing that you're not always going to come out on top, but it鈥檚 about the next time we represent Canada.鈥�

The Canada-U.S. rivalry remains one of the fiercest in all of sports, and Zandee-Hart has seen it evolve 鈥� especially with the rise of the Professional Women鈥檚 Hockey League (PWHL).

As a member of the New York Sirens, she illustrated how playing alongside teammates, such as Alex Carpenter, during the PWHL season and then facing them internationally adds a new layer to the experience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of energy, a lot of nerves, and whether it鈥檚 hockey or any sport, we definitely feel the Canada鈥揢SA rivalry,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 play with Alex every day, and then I go and play against her. That鈥檚 definitely changed the dynamic.鈥�

As Zandee-Hart continues to carve out her professional career, the PWHL鈥檚 recent announcement of a Vancouver franchise struck a personal chord.

鈥淲hen I heard that yesterday, I almost teared up thinking about the fact that we have a professional women鈥檚 hockey team in Vancouver,鈥� she said. 鈥淕irls can go to the rink, check out a practice, and connect with the team."

For Zandee-Hart, the expansion of women鈥檚 professional hockey, alongside a growing wave of girls entering the sport, marks a new and promising chapter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 everything for young girls to be able to watch games regularly and think, 鈥業 could do that someday,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淲hen I was growing up, I never thought that would be possible, but now it鈥檚 becoming a reality for them.鈥�

Though she is now playing in her second season with the Sirens, Zandee-Hart鈥檚 connection to Vancouver Island remains strong.

Last summer, she returned to skate at the Panorama Recreation Centre 鈥� her old home rink. Her name now sits in the arena鈥檚 main entrance alongside other notable Peninsula Eagles alumni, including Jamie Benn, Jordie Benn, and Matt Irwin.

鈥淚鈥檝e been back to Panorama a couple of times now, and skating on that ice again was surreal,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny because I never thought I鈥檇 be on the board as a notable Peninsula Eagles alum, but here I am.鈥�

She hopes her story will inspire not just the next generation of athletes but anyone who finds value in being part of a community and pursuing what they love.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have someone to look up to in my sport growing up, but I hope to be that person for someone else,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f I can get kids involved in the game and help them experience all the benefits I鈥檝e gotten from it, that鈥檚 the coolest thing to me.鈥�

Now, Zandee-Hart turns her focus back to the Sirens as they continue to fight for a spot in the PWHL postseason.

New York鈥檚 next game is set for Sunday, April 27, against the Minnesota Frost.

Sitting six points back of the final playoff spot, the Sirens are in must-win mode. They'll need to sweep their remaining three games 鈥� and get help from elsewhere 鈥� if they hope to clinch their first postseason appearance.