It was a great week for women's hockey in Pittsburgh when the Penguins hosted Team USA and Team Canada for a unique joint training camp.

"This experience was terrific," said Kendall Coyne Schofield, captain of Team USA. "We can't say thank you enough to the Pittsburgh Penguins for opening their arms to us."

The U.S. and Canadian women's national teams played their second of two matchups on Sunday afternoon at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in front of another sold-out crowd. Team Canada won by a score of 5-3. Thoughts, musings and observations from the game...

The best player in the world.

A player who shines the brightest on the biggest stages and comes up clutch in high-stakes moments.

A player who has plenty of skill and scoring ability but also goes to the hard areas and plays a complete game.

A player who's a leader, who takes care of themselves and looks after their teammates.

When Penguins director of youth hockey Shannon Webster asked me to help coach at an all-girls youth hockey clinic with some of the U.S. women's national team players at PPG Paints Arena before Saturday's game, it was a no-brainer. 

I was thrilled for the chance to even be considered to coach alongside them. But when their optional practice got canceled, I thought maybe just a player or two would come. 

Instead, the ENTIRE team showed up.

The U.S. and Canadian women's national teams played their first of two matchups on Friday night at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in front of a sold-out crowd. Team Canada won by a score of 4-1. Thoughts, musings and observations from the game...

After being on the road all week, the Penguins got back into town late Thursday night after playing the New York Islanders. They were glad to make it back in time for the exhibition games between the U.S. and Canadian women's national teams this weekend.

As 2018 Olympic gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield was preparing to surprise the North Pittsburgh Wildcats 12U and 14U girls' teams at their practice on Thursday night at Baierl Ice Complex, she learned that 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Mounsey was already on the ice.

This week's joint training camp between the U.S. and Canadian women's national teams at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex is special for Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux, twin sisters and longtime members of Team USA, for a couple of reasons.

When Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle was younger, she used to joke about how being the goaltending coach for the U.S. Women's National Team would be the easiest job in the world.

The Penguins may be on the road today, but some of the best players in the world still took the ice in Pittsburgh at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex as it marked the first day of the joint training camp with the U.S. and Canadian Women's National Teams.