Edmonton's Danielle Serdachny brings her Olympic hockey hopes home in Rivalry Series

Danielle Serdachny gets to wear the Maple Leaf in her hometown in hockey games carrying weight in her Olympic future.

The 24-year-old from Edmonton and her Canadian teammates complete the four-game Rivalry Series against the United States with games at Rogers Place on Wednesday and Saturday.

The U.S. outscored Canada 10-2 over two wins to open the series in Cleveland and Buffalo, N.Y., in November.

Serdachny, who has represented Canada in the last three world championships and scored the overtime golden goal in 2024, is in her second season in the Professional Women's Hockey League, but her first with the expansion Seattle Torrent.

Facing the U.S. in Canada's last games against its archrival before the Olympic Games, and in a place where she grew up, layers on the magnitude for Serdachny.

"It means a lot," Serdachny said.

"If you would have asked me many years ago, even when they were in Edmonton a few years ago, if I'd be in this situation, I'd be a little bit doubtful but hopeful, so really excited for the opportunity of bringing the best on best to Edmonton."

Serdachny was attending high school and playing hockey at the Pursuit of Excellence academy in Kelowna, B.C., when Canada's Jennifer Wakefield scored the overtime winner Dec. 17, 2017, at Rogers Place against the U.S. in a tune-up for the 2018 Winter Games.

The Edmonton Oilers were prominent in Serdachny's childhood because her father Steve was the NHL team's skills coach for a dozen years. Danielle Serdachny is an ambassador for the Oilers' community foundation.

Serdachny felt the support, and extra attention, when she played at Rogers Place with the Ottawa Charge in a PWHL neutral-site Takeover Tour game last season.

"I was definitely a little bit more busy