Toronto Sceptres defender Ella Shelton was one of six Canadian players who narrowly lost the women’s hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Olympics. If the 28-year-old native of Ingersoll, Ont. can take any solace in the gut-wrenching defeat, it’s found in seeing the elation in Joy Dunne, one of the speedy forwards on the victorious American squad.
Joy is the youngest sister of Shelton’s boyfriend, Josh Dunne, a forward with the Buffalo Sabres. The elder Dunne met Shelton at Clarkson University; an Instagram post of the couple from November 2020 reads, “One year with this woman! So thankful for you.”
Shelton, like the rest of Team Canada, had challenges in attempting to contain Joy Dunne in both games versus the United States at Milano Cortina. “She’s a powerhouse forward and she’s able to drive pucks low,” Shelton said. “She’s a big body and has a wicked shot. I just see her as another opponent. I think when Canada plays the USA, you just look at it as a second opponent. There’s nothing personal about the game; it’s just competitive and that’s what makes it so fun.”
As reported in BuffaloHockeyBeat.com, the Shelton and Dunne families sat in adjoining rows during the Canada versus the United States preliminary round game; Josh resigned to staying as impartial as possible in the international duel between his sweetheart and his sibling.
“I don’t really know what the dynamic is, I didn’t really ask too many questions about that,” Shelton said. “I think Josh just tries to stay super neutral about everything. I think he sat in between our parents and just kind of was a mediator between them. I think obviously my parents are happy for Canada, and their parents are happy for the USA. But I think individually they’re always giving me a little pat on my back and cheering me on, and the same with my parents to Joy when she does something well.”
Meanwhile, the Sceptres have vaulted back into the playoff race after earning seven of a possible nine points in their three post-Olympic games so far. Still two points back of the fourth and final playoff spot, Toronto hosts the two-time defending Walter Cup champions, Minnesota, on Sunday. “They’re a great opponent, so I think it’s going to be being good defensively and getting those stalled pucks, and then taking advantage and being creative in the offensive zone. Being able to manipulate their defence a little bit will help us to be more creative,” Shelton said.
The status of Shelton’s defence partner Renata Fast is unclear for Sunday. Fast left Friday’s practice early, wearing a yellow (spare player) sweater during her limited time on the ice. “They want a deep pairing, some offensive grit and most importantly, they want us to not give anything up defensively,” Shelton said of complementing her fellow Olympian, Fast. “I think we started to learn off each other and see each other’s tendencies, and it just helps each other be successful.”
