These international ice hockey rivals just had a baby
Rivals, turned teammates, turned mothers!
Ice hockey players Caroline Ouellette and her wife Julie Chu, welcomed their newborn daughter into the world last week
Chu captained the United States women’s team from 2011 to 2013.
She was the first Asian-American woman to play for the US team, and the second-most decorated U.S. female in Olympic Winter Games history.
Ouellette was the captain of Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, where Chu played against her on the USA women’s team.
USA finished out the competition in second place, with Canada just beating them to first place, winning the final game 3-2.
But clearly they were more than rivals, as their daughter Liv Chu-Ouellette was born on November 5.
This past season, they both played Canadian Women’s Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiennes last season.
The team won the Clarkson Cup, while Ouellette was pregnant with Liv.
The couple announced the exciting news on social media.
“After 40 weeks and 2 days, Julie and I welcomed to the world our beautiful daughter Liv,” Ouellette wrote on Instagram.
“I feel truly blessed to experience this incredible adventure with my love and best friend Julie. I did not realise it was possible to love this much until I met this little bundle of joy!”
“It was a happy pregnancy for us. Liv was on the ice to win the Clarkson Cup with Les Canadiennes de Montréal this past March. We spent the summer coaching the sport we love with great friends.”
“Thanks to our families and friends for your support and for being part of this new journey. Cheers to the sleepless nights to come!”
“We have already been blessed with so many things in our life: Amazing friends and family, Love, Representing our countries, and doing things we are passionate about each day,” Chu posted.
“We couldn’t have felt luckier, until we were blessed with the most incredible Gift so far on Sunday, November 5. @caroouellette13 and I are happy to introduce our greatest blessing: Liv Chu-Ouellette.”
Former Canadian National Hockey Coach, Shannon Miller, who herself is a lesbian, had a message of love for the couple.
#AmazingLove #AmazingLife
Congratulations @couellette13 @juliechu13 pic.twitter.com/5AziN9ai8N— Shannon Miller (@Miller12Shannon) November 9, 2017
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Chu is spending the next season coaching the Concordia University’s women’s team, while Ouellette is taking some time off to care for their child.