Julie Chu calls it "an awe moment," when you're fascinated by your surroundings while taking in the magnitude of where you are in your career or in life.
One of Chu's awe moments was practicing for the first time as a member of the United States Olympic team in 2002. The arena was empty, but the fact she would represent her country at a special event hit home.
"We all have it," Chu said. "When you step on the ice, there's always that awe moment, whether you want to admit it or not. It's just how quickly some of us who've had a chance to experience it a few more times, and maybe worked on the mental confirmation of that moment, we're able to shift out of that a little bit quicker and back to the focus of it."
Chu is a decorated veteran of the international circuit, but she is never immune to awe moments. She'll have another on New Year's Eve when the NHL hosts the inaugural Outdoor Women's Classic presented by Scotiabank. The exhibition game between the Boston Pride of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) and Les Canadiennes de Montreal of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) will be played at Gillette Stadium (2 p.m. ET) and help serve as a prelude to the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins on New Year's Day (1 p.m. ET; NBC, TVA Sports, SN).