Latest / Rinkside Rundown / Issy Wunder: Princeton Leadership, Neuroscience, and the PWHL Draft
Transcript
- Speaker 1: There's a lot of unknown for the next chapter for me and for all the girls ⁓ entering the PW draft. But I think trying to think of that as more exciting and all the exciting possibilities instead of the stressful, you know, side of it, it is really, really helpful in staying grounded during a bit of an uncertain time. Speaker 2: Hello and welcome back to Rinkside Rundown, the podcast that brings you Inside the World of Women's Hockey, one story at a time. I'm your host, Chris Sinclair, and today I'm absolutely thrilled to be joined by Izzy Wonder, a forward from Toronto, Ontario, graduate of Princeton University, and someone who undoubtedly won't have to wait long to hear her name called at the 2026 PWHL draft. Izzy, welcome to the show. How you doing? Speaker 1: Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. Speaker 2: Of course, yes, this is going to be a blast. I want to start off by learning your origin story. Do you remember what it was about hockey that drew you in, that made you fall in love with it and made you say, you know what, this is fun, but I'm ready to take this seriously. Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that growing up, obviously I played a bunch of different sports and I had a lot going on in my childhood. So it wasn't necessarily from day one hockey, hockey, hockey, but I do think a pretty formative thing that it sort of continued throughout my childhood was we had a backyard rink in our, ⁓ at our house in the city, ⁓ that my, mom would put up each year. And I think that definitely as the years went on and I got older and sort of closer to the high school age, ⁓ it became more, let's train on the outdoor instead of like, let's just go out here and have fun. So I think that that was, that distinction probably got made, I don't know, maybe sometime when I was 12 or 13 and it was like, okay, I'm going to actually wake up before school and I'm going to shoot some pucks instead of, we're just out here having fun. And obviously the outdoor rank for those who've had. The experience to do it, it's fun no matter what. So it wasn't like shooting pucks wasn't fun. And I'd still have friends over and, you know, kids in the neighborhood. But I think when I started trying to use that as actual practice time for me, it was kind of like, okay, I actually want to hone in on my skills. I want to get better and take this seriously. Speaker 2: I that there was an ODR in your origin story. just seems it's so quintessentially Canadian too, right? So I love that. Well, and you mentioned the fact that you you participated and you were active in a number of different sports. That's fantastic. How important do you think it was to actually maybe look at and play different sports and how do you think that helped you as an athlete and certainly as a competitor, especially early on in your, in your development? Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it was huge. think first of all, part of being a kid is, you know, playing sports and having fun. And I was definitely always an active kid. I had two younger brothers and so we were always outside when it was warm, playing catch, playing football with our dad, stuff like that. And so I think from a young age, sports were always something that I was drawn to. And then I think as I grew up and whether it was elementary school, middle school, high school sports, it definitely was a way to bring out my competitive side. I've always been competitive, not only in sports. So I don't know, it's a bit of a chicken and the egg thing. Obviously a competitive kid is going to be drawn to sports. I think that, ⁓ yeah, getting to go to school and want to win in gym class and want to win after school in soccer and all of that, I think really just instilled my competitive spirit. then later down the line, once I was focusing only on hockey, that's basically where all of my competition and compete went. And I think that it's been a really good outlet for that. Speaker 2: Now, to contrast that, reading has been something that has been an important part, especially early on and throughout your childhood into your collegiate years. I'm sure it's going to be something that you're looking forward to not necessarily having to do now that you've graduated. what was, you know, what were some of those books that really, you know, we talked earlier about what drew you to the game of hockey, what drew you into the world of reading and and what were you into and how important was it to have maybe that foundation, that passion for reading, especially as you look at closing out your own, the chapter of your collegiate career. Speaker 1: Yeah, I think reading was something that was also hard to say, like chicken and the egg. think obviously all young kids learn to read at whatever age it is. ⁓ but I think it was something that my parents, like my mom has always been a really big reader. ⁓ and so is my dad. And so they were really invested in, you know, buying us books, like on your birthday, you'd get a book or other holidays or whatever, and, ⁓ trying to encourage us to, to figure out what you like. And so. I think when I was younger, read a lot of like, there's a book series like, who was blank? Who was Amelia Earhart? Who was whatever. And I think that those were cool because you're learning something, you know, it's a way to get kids to be excited about learning new things. And then, yeah, like over time, like taste change. And I think that that's a great thing about books. When I was 10 or 11, I was reading Harry Potter and fantasy and all of that. And it's such a getting immersed in those worlds. But then, You grow up and you read more like dramas or romance or like Jane Austen and real literature. And so I think it's been nice. And obviously at Princeton, I've been forced to read some things in some subjects and other subjects or other. ⁓ I think just enjoying the act of reading and learning new information is something that's been super fun in my life. Speaker 2: Are you looking forward to now being able to just like casually read something and be like, you know what, I want to read that book. Are you looking forward to that chapter now of your life? Speaker 1: I've been doing that in the summers, but it'll be nice to not only have two months or so in the year for some casual reading for sure. Speaker 2: Absolutely. ⁓ You had the opportunity as well throughout your junior career to stick close to home and play that junior career close to home. What did it mean to you to be able to do that? Because it's something that not every kid gets to do, right? Sometimes you have to travel, you have to go to different, you end up choosing to go to other programs, other cities, other states, other provinces, but you had that opportunity to stay close to home. What did that mean to you? to have that support system so close to you while you were also enjoying the sport that you love so much and pushing yourself too, of course. Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a great point. And I think it's something that honestly, growing up, I probably wasn't as aware of or super conscious of because most of the girls who I was surrounded with growing up, we were all fortunate to live in Toronto. you know, that's just fluke and luck. And I'm lucky that I grew up in such a hockey haven. But for sure, I think like there's a huge community that it takes behind the scenes, like to go from a five year old who starts playing hockey to somebody who commits to college and living so close to family and friends. Like there were so many times when my grandparents would step in and drive me to practice or drive me to games, whether it was 10 minutes away from home or an hour away from home. And they were there and they were happy to do it. And having having my grandparents at games when I was a kid and supporting me, like it's it's invaluable. And it really just was something that from a young age made the games more fun. You know, I think it's such a privilege to be able to to be like a 10 year old and looking forward to your grandparents being there cheering you on. It's really wholesome and nice. And so there's that element. And then there's also, again, like the commitment, the commitment that it took from my parents, the commitment that it took from the people and important people in my life. And so even though it was definitely more convenient to be in your home, there were still so many drives early mornings, late nights. And I'm just really grateful that I had the people there who were allowing me to pursue my goals. Speaker 2: Could you maybe talk about your junior career and maybe some of those milestones, some of those things where maybe it wasn't necessarily in the moment, you were like, this is gonna be a profound moment for me in terms of my on ice production or my on ice confidence, which we're gonna get into your overall confidence in just a moment as well. But, ⁓ know, maybe not necessarily in the moment, but now in hindsight, you're like, that was a really important game or that was a really important team or that was really. important organization that I was a part of. Can you maybe speak to that as well? Because I think it's important to highlight that as being an important chapter of your life, of course. Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. Well, I mean, my junior career was sort of interrupted by COVID. So my grade 12 year was a bit of like a, I don't know, a bit of a mess to be honest, but ⁓ I ended up taking a gap year. And I think that that year, my final year playing junior, it was for the Durham West Junior Lightning was just the most incredible experience. I could not think of a better group of girls. to spend my final year with, a better way to cap it off. It was just, like, it sounds corny to say, but we really were a family. And I think that it was a really nice experience because I had sort of like skipped that year in grade 12. It was really nice for me to be able to sort of grow into a leadership role compared to when I was in grade 11. I was kind of a rookie and younger on the team. But then I sort of missed that middle period and then got to just step up. to try and be a leader. It was just ⁓ a phenomenal year, know? Junior hockey is, for those who have been lucky enough to do it, there's nothing quite like it. ⁓ And I think that culture is really everything in junior hockey because everybody has the same goal as everybody A, wants to win and succeed, but also most girls are trying to get scholarships and commit to schools. And so I think that when you have a really, really strong team environment and culture and you're genuinely supported by your teammates and your coaches, Cause obviously everything starts from the top. think that that's when you have fun. When things get too stressful or too much competition within your teammates. And I think that you can sort of lose sight of what's really important. Speaker 2: Well, and I feel like you provided me with a perfect segue here because you mentioned commitment. And so let's talk about another commitment that you made in your life. And that's committing to Princeton, of course. You have a lot of different options, right? You can pursue, maybe it's you stay in Canada, maybe it's you go to the NCAA, wherever, you know, a number of different programs on either side of the border that you could have taken part in. But you chose Princeton. Do you remember what it was about Princeton? about the campus, about the group there, that made you say, this is the one. Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's hard to pinpoint one exact thing and you kind of alluded to it. mean, Princeton has a lot to offer. so off the bat, ⁓ education and going to a top academic school was really important to my family. And so that was obviously an appeal of Princeton. But then the campus is just, I think it's the most beautiful campus I've ever been to. I may be a little biased, but when me and my mom first visited, we both sort of had a feeling and Again, sort of corny, but I do know most girls that you ask will say, how did you know? ⁓ you just get a feeling. so there was that. then one other, I guess, short story in terms of the team and the culture is that when we were visiting and we were getting a campus tour from one of the coaches, we actually ran into one of the girls on the team. And I guess it must've been right in their postseason. And so they hadn't been practicing or anything yet. And the girl on the team... like ran over to us, gave the assistant coach a massive hug, was so, so thrilled to see her. And I remember just thinking like, wow, she's that excited to see her coach. Like it was, it was really wholesome and kind of heartwarming almost. Um, and obviously you think a lot when you're committing about hockey and school and location and all of that, but yeah, like you said, like culture really does culture matters and, and what the girls on the team and the coaches bring to the table. So that was something really unique about Princeton. Speaker 2: Well, and you just mentioned also how with Durham, especially, it felt like family. You said it kind of feels cheesy, cliche to say it, but it's true. And you just carried that forward into your collegiate career as well, because that immediately, well, that's, that just feels like a big family to me. If they're running up and hugging their coaches and stuff like that, that tells me there's something good going on there, right? Speaker 1: Exactly. It's probably a green flag if something like that's happening. Speaker 2: Absolutely. ⁓ So you go to Princeton, you end up deciding to go to Princeton, and then you also decide you're going to major in psychology with a minor in neuroscience. And so I want to know, while also of course playing elite level hockey, how in the world you found a way to balance all of those things, but also how those, your area of study because it's very particular, influenced the way that you prepare and look at the game of Speaker 1: Yeah. So at Princeton, ⁓ it's pretty unique. You actually don't end up choosing your major until sort of the spring of your sophomore year. So they try and give you time to test different things out and see what you like, what you don't like. And some people know what they want from day one, but I was definitely not one of those people. And so I took a bunch of different classes in different areas, like literature, science, math, social sciences. And I landed on psychology and neuroscience because I've always liked sort of biology and how things work, which is what the neuroscience sort of offers. And then psychology gives you more of the bigger picture, ⁓ why we think things, how we think things, how things work. So I thought that the combination of the two like worked out perfectly for my two interests. then in terms of hockey, mean, when you think of psychology, psychology can literally apply to anything. So it's been super helpful in my relationships, like fostering my relationships, whether it's with coaches or teammates or dealing with interpersonal conflict, you know? ⁓ There's always things you can think back on in social psychology, for example, which I've taken and applied in that. And also just like learning how the brain works is such a valuable thing because you're learning about yourself. And so sometimes I'll catch myself like feeling a certain way or feeling stressed about one thing or other, and then pausing and realizing like everything's gonna be okay, this is just sort of a stress in my head. And psychology is really cool because it... There's no answers. There's no right or wrong really in terms of why we think things or why we act some way. But being able to sort of pause and reflect is something that I've really tried to do when I'm thinking about hockey and relationships. Speaker 2: Well, speaking of relationships, I'm sure that really helped a lot when it comes to being a captain too, right? The relationships and understanding yourself, of course, but understanding how to approach different kinds of relationships that you have on the team. Do you think that also helped you to become the captain that you ended up being? Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I think that there's lots of influences and honestly, ⁓ big credit to how I tried to sort of mold my own leadership was after the leaders that we've had on our team in the past. I think we've had such great leaders. Mia Cohen, who was our captain last year, did it all by herself and she was just like a workhorse and led by example and did everything right. And so I think on my leadership and... Sometimes you don't always want to do the right thing. It may be harder. It may be uncomfortable, but you have to do it. If it's having a hard conversation or, you know, going all the way to the line when you're getting skated, things like that. And then in my earlier years, like Sarah Fillier, Maggie Connors, Mariah Keppel, like such incredible people and leaders and just carry themselves and hold themselves to a high standard. And so I think that a lot of leadership is how you interact with others, but it's also the standards you set for yourself because people look up to you. so. I really credit them for showing me that standard when I was younger and maybe less mature. And now I know, no, that is the status quo. That's what we have to do. Speaker 2: Something that I found really interesting was that among the many things that you've said throughout your career, one thing that really stood out to me speaks to the confidence. And I wanted to read the quote for you. I mean, you said it, so you probably know what it was, but ⁓ you said, I don't judge my own performance based on stats, but I was struggling to get the puck in the net. All forwards love scoring goals. It's always been a big part of my game. And the fact that I was able to show that I could produce at a pretty high level in college helped my confidence. Could you talk more about how you manage those ups and downs of a collegiate career and maybe also how that's being able to navigate that and build that confidence in yourself and your game away from the ice as well has really set you up for success as you look at this next chapter of your career as well. Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that I honestly, looking back on my career, like you said, there have been ups and downs here at Princeton. And I think that something I'm really grateful for is that I genuinely don't think that I would have wanted to change anything about my personal journey and the trajectory of it, because I think that I was really able to learn from the lows and also like learn from the highs. so ⁓ like when I came into college, I'd come off of a pretty successful final year in junior and I knew that there was going to be an adjustment period. I was lucky that I was able to get chances to succeed and there were ups and downs in my freshman year and then there were times when I was on the first line and then there were times when I was on the fourth line. And that was something that I had not really been used to before and it was sort of a new kind of adversity. I'm so, so grateful that I was able to be surrounded by a support system that was able to help me through that because you can't just go through... go through things by yourself. And so I had friends and teammates and family there for me. And I think once you get out on the other side, like, I honestly think that some of it is just luck. Like I've said this before, like my shooting percentage was really, really low my first two years of school. And it increased dramatically in my second two years. And obviously part of that is training and preparation and getting better and bigger and older and stronger. And I've put in all that work behind the scenes. But... ⁓ I think that, I've always liked to score goals and it wasn't necessarily happening for me the first two years, but what I learned was if I'm not scoring goals, I have to find a way to contribute other than scoring goals. And so in my freshman year, I think I struggled with that a little bit because scoring goals and contributing to the team in that way was what I was used to. But maybe it means honing in on my defense, blocking more shots, doing the little things like I was meeting with the coaches as much as I could to try and get specific feedback. ⁓ And then my second year I still wasn't scoring as much but I was lucky and I was playing with Sarah Fillier and I was working on my playmaking. ⁓ And then in my third year I had a chance to shoot more and I was given more of a shooting role you could say and things started to turn up but if I hadn't gone through the experience in my freshman and sophomore year then who's to say like if I would have been ready to just go right into a shooting role right away so. Speaker 2: Okay. Fascinating. ⁓ Another aspect of you that I find to be really interesting is that you obviously have tremendous skills on the ice and you put a lot of work into developing on the ice. But just as important to you is your work away from the ice in the community. And that's whether it's in the Princeton community, whether that's back home in Toronto, things like the letter play campaign, reading for the tigers. ⁓ mentoring young players back home in Toronto, as I'd mentioned. Where does that passion come from and how important is it to you to stay connected and to be involved in the communities that you're also taking part in? Speaker 1: think it's really important. And I think that that honestly just comes from like the women who have come before us and the generations before, because I think like women's hockey has obviously grown exponentially in the past five, 10, 20 years. But I think when I was growing up, ⁓ whatever the publicity was for women there, I remember I think Sammy Jo Small came and talked at my high school with her gold medal. And that was like an extremely formative experience for me, just hearing her story. And I think visibility in the community is so important because you need young girls, you need people to look up to who aren't men and who are just like them and who look like them. And so they have something to dream for. And I think that a huge reason why women's hockey has grown so much in my generation is because of the women before us who were out there in the community. like the first women who started doing ads, seeing Mary-Philippe Oland on TV is so important. like so, important and that wasn't happening 30, 40 years ago. And so I think that because I was able to experience that and see those women in my community and on social media when I was growing up, it's shown me I wanna be able to be that for the next generation. I want young girls to be able to see me and continue the cycle and grow the game. Speaker 2: Yeah, when you can see, they say it, when you can see it, you can be it. And it's so important to have those really strong mentors and influences to be able to look up to, of course. And I think then this is a natural segue into what is going to be the next chapter of your career and what it can be when you make it into that space. And before we get into the draft and how you're preparing for it as well, how would you say... the experiences that you've been through, whether it's in junior, whether it's, you know, as you mentioned, dealing with COVID and, and, or that time of everyone's lives, ⁓ to your time at Princeton, the ups, the downs, managing all of those things, being a leader. How have all of those experiences really set you up for this next chapter? Prepared you, laid the foundation for this next chapter of your exciting hockey career? Speaker 1: I think it's all, every single experience in your life plays a role in your future. And I think that for me, something that I've sort of reflected on, and obviously as I'm finishing my four years here at Princeton, I've been thinking back on my time and how I really want to enjoy my last few weeks and months here as a college athlete. I think that being able to sort of embrace the pressure and people say pressure is a privilege and... pressure makes diamonds and I think it's really true. And sometimes I'm overwhelmed with school and I'm overwhelmed with hockey and I'm overwhelmed with leadership responsibilities and all of that. But in those moments being able to sort of take a step back and realize how fortunate am I that I'm stressed with school because I care about what I'm learning. How fortunate am I that I'm stressed about hockey and that our season went three weeks longer than it's ever gone. Like, trying to reframe things in that way. because then everything that happens to you, whether it's good, whether it's bad, whether it's neutral, is able to be a learning experience. I know that there's a lot of unknown for the next chapter for me and for all the girls entering the PW draft. But I think trying to think of that as more exciting and all the exciting possibilities instead of the stressful side of it is really, really helpful in staying grounded during a bit of an uncertain time. Speaker 2: Yeah, what is it? Let's talk a little bit more about that. What does it feel like to be on the cusp? You've been looking at the PWHL since it started. Of course, you've seen your teammates and ⁓ opponents from other teams, of course, make it into the PWHL, see their professional dreams come to fruition. Now you're on the cusp of it as well. What does it feel like? Bring us into that as well with that feeling that you're going through right now. Speaker 1: I think it's exciting. think that honestly, the biggest thing that I find myself thinking about is how fortunate we are that this is now the reality. I've spent my whole life, I love the maple leaves, I've watched the NHL growing up. Every single year I sit down and I watch the draft and it's always so, so cool to see those 17, 18, 19 year old boys go out there and have their dreams come true. And I think the fact that now we get to do that, what an extremely, extremely cool thing. I think the biggest thing for me with a draft is just trying to enjoy it. Like not everyone like plays sports at the highest level or has like the opportunity. So even just having the opportunity to be considered and be a part of like this new wave is so special. Like I remember the first ever PWHL draft, our whole team was sitting in the video room watching and waiting for Maggie Connors to get drafted. it was like another moment I will never ever forget. And just... And it just shows you like the community and the amount of people who are a part of each individual's journey who goes up on that stage. Like it's so much more than just the person getting drafted. ⁓ And the hockey community is just such a strong and special place. And so I'm just happy to be a part of it. Speaker 2: Well, and you had mentioned earlier too about the fact that when you can see it, you can be it. And now people are going to, young girls are going to be watching as you take to the ice, living out your professional dreams very, very soon, I'm certain of it. What is, how does it feel also? Do you feel maybe, I don't want to say pressure, but do you feel any responsibility maybe to make sure that you continue to be that, that role model, that positive influence that person that the next generation can look at and say, want to be just like Izzy Wonder. Speaker 1: That's a good question. think that I honestly don't think I feel too much pressure about that because I think the fortunate thing about the modern age and social media and how the game is growing is that it's not really necessarily just me. There's so many different girls. There's so many different types of players that you can model your game after. So many different personalities in the media like Emma Malte, like hilarious girl. She's really using her social media like. to show people the inside life of a PWHL hockey player. And so I think it's reassuring that there's so many different people to look at and some young girls might be ⁓ interested in my game or my content or whatever, but it may not be for everyone and that's okay. And I think that the best thing is that there's different people you can look up to. Little boys have always said, ⁓ I wanna play like Crosby or I wanna play like Ovechkin. or Drew Doughty or whatever. And the fact that now there's like styles of female hockey players that you can model your game after and people to follow on social media, like the more the merrier, I think. And so it's just exciting. Speaker 2: What do you, when you think about your journey to this very moment on the cusp again of this next chapter, what are you most proud of about yourself? What the accomplishments that you've had, the relationships maybe you've built, the connections you've made, what are you most proud of? Speaker 1: I honestly think I'm just most proud of the fact that me and my family chose for me to come to Princeton. ⁓ And that's a pretty broad, all-encompassing answer, but ⁓ it was so long ago. I think it was almost eight years ago, which is just crazy to think. ⁓ everything that has happened to me in the past four years has been like nothing but just a privilege. And every day I wake up here at school and I am just so happy where I am. I'm surrounded by people who I love. I get to play hockey at one of the coolest and most historic rinks in college hockey, ⁓ go to school with geniuses every day in class and be taught by incredible professors. And the list goes on. ⁓ And I just say it with so much gratitude. And I think that these four years have genuinely set me up so well on and off the ice and relationship-wise and network-wise and all of that. If anybody listening is considering to come to Princeton, I couldn't endorse it more. It's just the best place. Speaker 2: it. ⁓ Okay, so we are going to wrap things up with the final buzzer segment of the show. It's just a fun, rapid fire way for us to wrap up the conversation. We're going to start off with what is Izzy Wonders go to pregame meal? Speaker 1: Okay, this might be an unpopular opinion, but I do enjoy breakfast food on game day. So I don't know if it's necessarily going to be possible when I'm playing mostly nighttime games, but like scrambled eggs, cheese, spinach, some breakfast potatoes, some orange juice gets me ready to go. Speaker 2: Hey, one of my favorite things growing up was breakfast for dinner. So I think that's totally, that's a totally acceptable answer, of course. ⁓ What's one word that you think your teammates might use to describe you? Speaker 1: ⁓ I think that, I think that maybe authentic, they would say. ⁓ I try and be myself and I'm honest and, I am who I am. And, and yeah, sometimes I get made fun of for it, but I think it's good to be who you are. There's nothing to be ashamed of. So. Speaker 2: Good I like that. What's something that people might not know about you? Speaker 1: People might not know I'm really into Broadway. So like Broadway shows in New York City. I've been to a couple over the years and that kind of music and whatever. It's not necessarily the most classic pregame hockey music, but I really enjoy it. Speaker 2: Do you have a favorite production that you've seen? Speaker 1: I saw last year, it's called Maybe Happy Ending, and it was phenomenal. I really recommend, I'm pretty sure it's still on and the soundtrack is great. So I'd give the soundtrack a listen. Speaker 2: On it, homework for me, got it. Last one for you, if you could go back to those junior years in Toronto, what do you think you would tell your younger self about the journey ahead? Speaker 1: Well, I think I would say you're in for a good ride. I'm very happy and fortunate the way things have turned out, but in terms of advice, would honestly just say, the most out of each day. I've been really trying to do that my fourth year, but I kind of wish that when I was a freshman and a sophomore that I was embracing each day a little bit more. It's easy to get caught up with school and hockey and whatever, but... Each day has something new and positive to bring. And so the more that you can enjoy those things, the better your life is probably going to be. Speaker 2: I love that. That's a perfect way to wrap up that segment as well as this episode. Izzy, thank you so much for taking the time to join the show. This has been an absolute blast. I've loved to get to know you. I cannot wait to cheer you on on the draft night. Good luck. Good luck in that career. And thank you so, so much for joining the show today. Speaker 1: Thank you so much. It's been really, really nice being here and it's been nice talking. Speaker 2: And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, leave a review and share it with your fellow hockey fans. Your support helps me to continue bringing you stories just like Izzy's from around the world of women's hockey. I'm Chris Sinclair. Thank you so much for tuning in and I'll catch you next time on Rinkside Rundown.