And the Swedish volunteer team returns one.

Julia Nilsson was making the 15-hour trip from her hometown of Malmo to Montreal. And while it may be the 19-year-old’s first trip to North America, it’s not her first time to the World Juniors.

“I was a volunteer at the World Juniors last year in Sweden. I saw all the joy and happiness that surrounded this event and I wanted to be a part of it one more time,” she says.

Beyond the atmosphere, there is one more thing that motivated Nilsson to once again take part.

“I saw how the Canadian fans were supporting their team [last year] and they were not at all like the Swedish fans in hockey. I wanted to see what it would be like in Canada, with ice hockey being so big over there.”

Nilsson, who dreams of one day working as an event coordinator, saw endless opportunities as World Juniors volunteer to gain some much-needed experience in her field of choice.

But with the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship taking place over the holidays, acquiring first-hand knowledge also entails some sacrifices, namely, being more than 5,800 kilometres from her loved ones.

“I’m going to miss my family,” Nilsson says. “It will be very different because I’ve always celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Eve with friends and family. I’m the first to do something like this and they want me to share my experiences about my time in Canada whenever I can. I will be on Skype with them many times!”

Nilsson, who worked in security last year, will be a volunteer lounge host in Montreal.