CLEVELAND — For almost an hour on Monday night, long after her time on the ice at Brunswick Auto Mart Arena was complete, Laila Edwards signed autographs.

She signed T-shirts and jerseys and posed pictures with dozens of young girls who took the ice for USA Hockey’s “Bring a Friend” skate event. Eventually, she made her way to a table where she signed homemade posters and cards until every single parent, child and family got through the line. Then, she surprised the under-14 Cleveland Lady Barons girls hockey team — a youth organization she played for 13 years ago when she was just 8 years old and growing up in Cleveland Heights, a suburb of Cleveland — and gave the team a pep talk that was “straight off the dome.”

“I think it’s so special that they can see I was in their shoes once,” Edwards, now 21, told The Athletic. “And that this (being on the U.S. women’s national team) is very reachable and attainable for them. I didn’t necessarily always have that growing up.”

The community event was just one in a long list of obligations as the Canada-USA Rivalry Series spent the week in Edwards’ hometown; a visit with grandma, hours worth of interviews and even more time spent on the ice with Team USA. The week was also part of a larger, even busier stretch for Edwards over the next five months.

She’s trying to win another national championship with her college team, the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers; graduate as one of the top-ranked prospects eligible for the Professional Women’s Hockey League draft; and, of course, make the U.S. roster that will compete for gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

“It’s stressful,” Edwards said. “It’s a big deal, and it doesn’t come easy. But at the same time, I’m just trying to be present where I’m at, whether that’s class or practice with Wisconsin or practice with Team USA.”

The 21-year-old first made headlines when she became the first Black woman to play for the U.S. senior women’s national team in November 2023. At worlds in Utica, N.Y., that year, she scored a tournament-leading six goals in seven games and was named tournament MVP. Last season, as a junior at the top-ranked University of Wisconsin, Edwards led the NCAA in scoring and was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the best women’s hockey player in college hockey.

For a week, Edwards was back to where it all started. Thursday’s opening game of the Rivalry Series at Rocket Arena is only a few miles from where Edwards first learned to skate at the Cleveland Heights Community Center. And she guessed that over 100 friends and family members were among the nearly 7,000 fans in attendance for the 4-1 U.S. victory.

“She was so worried that we wouldn’t be allowed to get enough tickets, that she was going to buy a suite to get us all in,” Edwards’ mom, Charone, said in an interview with The Athletic.

There were her 91- and 88-year-old grandmothers, who haven’t been able to travel to watch Edwards play. Her sister, Chayla, whom she won a national championship with at Wisconsin in 2023. Friends from school, former teammates, youth coaches, and families who helped along the way.

“She was born and raised in this hockey community, so (for her) to be able to give back and for the community to give back to her with their love and support, I think that’s been great,” said Edwards’ father, Robert.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward — and Akron, Ohio native — Larry Nance Jr. showed that support when he walked into the Cavs’ game against Philadelphia wearing an Edwards Team USA jersey on Wednesday night, which Edwards said was “super cool.”

🤝 Cleveland roots run deep.@Larrydn22 walked in repping the jersey of Cleveland Heights native @laila_edwards21 — the first Black woman to play for the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team.

Catch Laila and @usahockey back at @RocketArena this Thursday for the USA vs. Canada… pic.twitter.com/nO1iXvEmyi

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 5, 2025

A day later, fans showed their support during the pregame on Thursday, when they gave Edwards the loudest cheers as her name was announced. U.S. captain Hilary Knight took it even further when she invited Edwards (a winger-turned-defender) to take the ceremonial faceoff against Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin.

“The Queen of Cleveland,” said U.S. forward Taylor Heise. “That’s what we’ve been calling her all week.”

And yet, Edwards almost missed out on the opportunity to bask in all that positive energy. She injured her knee in a college game last month, but was cleared to play last week — well ahead of schedule.

Edwards, pictured at Thursday’s ceremonial puck drop with two-time Olympian Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle and Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin, nearly missed out on the Rivalry Series game at home because of a knee injury. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)

“As soon as I got hurt, I was like, ‘Oh no,’” Edwards said. “I didn’t feel good, and right away all I could think about was the future. What I was going to miss and what could be at stake.”

Charone, who was at the game, didn’t see that internal panic in her daughter. Instead, Charone said Edwards was jumping out of her seat in the trainers room as the Badgers downed the University of Minnesota-Duluth 4-3 in dramatic fashion.

“She handled it like a champ,” said Charone. “She was so calm about it that Chayla and I were able to be calm, too.”

Initial reports suggested the injury could be “an MCL thing.” It was ultimately not that serious and Edwards said she was “luckily” given a six week recovery timeline, which would have meant missing the November Rivalry Series, though Edwards said she would have still attended the game to “be a supportive teammate and a good ambassador for the community.”

Then, through rehab and treatment, Edwards progressed rapidly and was cleared to play ahead of Wisconsin’s series against Minnesota only three weeks after being injured.

“I put in a lot of work with rehab and PT and just hammered it and worked hard every single day,” she said. “I was healing faster and faster to the point where they said you’re good to go to feel comfortable.”

Being home also meant Edwards could exhale, even if just for a moment. From the moment she landed, Edwards said she felt more relaxed and comfortable in the midst of a chaotic and stressful season.

“I feel loved, safe, all those really good things,” she said. “It’s just really good vibes. And I’m hoping it will translate well on the ice.”

The time at home appeared to translate on Thursday night as Edwards logged consistent minutes on Team USA’s top pair beside Megan Keller, and tallied a big primary assist on the Americans’ first goal of the game. Edwards also showed improved poise with the puck as a defender when she smartly held onto the puck for a zone entry, which helped set up Abbey Murphy’s second goal of the game.

“If we just dump it in, we’re forechecking,” Wroblewski said. “Her composure was on display all over.”

She first made the switch to defense — after a successful early career as a forward — last year ahead of the 2025 women’s world championships in Czechia. At the time, she admitted to feeling a bit hesitant offensively. So while she didn’t get an assist for the play, it was a noticeable example of growth at a crucial time with a lot on the horizon for Edwards.

The 2026 Olympics are just three months away, and Edwards should be all but a lock to crack the U.S. roster, so long as she can remain healthy.

As a senior at Wisconsin, she will also try to win a third NCAA championship, this time without leading scorer Casey O’Brien, who was selected third overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Edwards herself will also be eligible for the PWHL Draft this summer and will be part of an incredible class of talent, including U.S. teammates Kirsten Simms, Caroline Harvey, Lacey Eden, Tessa Janecke and Abbey Murphy.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on,” Edwards said. “But there’s nothing to complain about. I feel very blessed.”

That was true even just this week: Community events until late into the night; visits with friends and family; knee rehab while trying to make the Olympic team. None of it seemed to faze her.

“(That’s) just Laila,” said Wroblewski. “She’s a ballplayer. She’s a gamer. She’s the real deal.”