The inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season is now more than a month old, but we’re still in the early stages. The players are fresh and still learning the game at this stage, as are the fans. PWHL Montreal has been one of the best teams in the league early on, so let’s take a look at their roster.
PWHL Montreal Forwards
#7 Laura Stacey
Laura Stacey is enjoying a solid start to the season and the 29-year-old has had her fair share of experience. In 2012, she won gold with Canada in the U18 Women’s World Junior Championship (WJC). She spent four seasons with Dartmouth in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 2012-2016, having her best campaign in 2014-15 when she put up nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 26 contests.
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Stacey also spent a good chunk of time in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), putting up 53 points in 46 total games from 2016-2018. Internationally, she won silver in 2018 and gold in 2022, scoring six points in seven games when she took home the grandest medal there is to offer. She’s still fairly young despite all of her accolades and is still producing at a high level in the PWHL.
#8 Gabrielle David
Gabrielle David is one of the younger players Montreal has to offer at just 24. At Clarkson University (in upstate New York) from 2020-2023, she compiled pretty massive totals of 58 goals and 91 assists for 149 points in 135 games, reaching a plus-86 rating in the process.
She’s just getting started with her career, yet is a lineup regular for Montreal. With further development, there’s potential for more.
#12 Leah Lum
Leah Lum is one of the few players with ties to the Chinese national team that professional hockey in North America has to offer, making her a special case. The 27-year-old played for the University of Connecticut from 2014-2018 and put up 42 goals and 60 assists for 102 points in 148 games.
Later on, Lum played hockey in the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) from 2018-2022 and had 70 points in 76 games there. She also competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics with China and had four points in four games. Notably, she scored 15 points in five games in the 2022 Women’s World Championship which tied for the lead in the whole tournament.
A ZhHL champion in 2019-20 and a winner of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) championship, the Isobel Cup, in 2022-23, she is very accomplished in her career. She was a good add for Montreal but not the focal point for their offense as it stands.
#14 Jillian Dempsey
Jillian Dempsey is one of the veterans in Montreal, 33 years of age and with loads of experience. In 2009, she won gold at the U18 WJC. During her collegiate tenure at Harvard University, she compiled 76 goals and 72 assists for 148 points in 129 games, had a plus-101 rating from 2009-2013, and served as captain in her senior season. In said season, she was a Patty Kazmaier Award finalist for the best women’s collegiate hockey player.
In the CWHL, she had an impressive 47 points in 46 games, while she pretty much kept her pace in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) from 2015-2021, scoring 70 goals and 76 assists for 146 points in 142 contests. She might not be a star for Montreal at this stage of her career, but she is still a fixture in the lineup.
#15 Maureen Murphy
Getting to one of the bigger stars for Montreal, Maureen Murphy is just 24 and has already come into her own. At Providence College from 2017-2020, her time was highlighted by her 22 goal, 43-point campaign in 2018-19 in 37 games, but one-upped that with Northwestern University in 2021-22 with 56 points in the same number of games, adding to that with 55 points in 33 games last season. Accolade-wise, she won gold at the U18 WJC in 2017, plus was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2022-23.
This season, Murphy has proven to be one of Montreal’s best players. One of the top scorers in the PWHL as a whole tied for sixth in point-scoring with eight through nine games, it is clear she was a great pickup. With her youth, she could be a PWHL staple moving forward.
#16 Sarah Lefort
Sarah Lefort’s solid career started very early, putting up seven points in five games during the 2012 U18 WJC and winning gold in the process. From there, she was very successful with Boston University in the NCAA, putting up 92 goals and 91 assists for 183 points in 146 games from 2012-2016. In 2013-14, she was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.
Lefort also had a decent stretch from 2016-2018 in the CWHL, highlighted in 2017-18 with 31 points in 28 games. The 30-year-old was a CWHL champion in 2016-17, as well. Not everyone can be a huge contributor for Montreal, especially with how much talent the PWHL has, but she’s done a decent job so far.
#17 Alexandra Poznikoff
Alexandra Poznikoff hasn’t played a game with Montreal yet, but her time could be coming if injuries arise. At the University of Alberta in USports from 2015-2020, she had 125 points in 125 games and was a champion in 2016-17. Winner of the Brodrick Trophy as the best player in the league in 2018-19, her talent is evident.
In 2022-23, Poznikoff was also a Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) champion. She hasn’t gotten her chance to play yet, but maybe that’s coming soon.
#21 Tereza Vanisova
Tereza Vanisova has been one of the more noteworthy athletes for Montreal, and the Czechia native has made big strides to do that. She’s spent about a decade playing hockey there across the WJC, the Olympics, World Championships (WC), and standard play, winning championships three times from 2011-2016.
In addition, Vanisova played with the University of Maine from 2016-2020, scoring 129 points in 129 games. She is also a three-time Isobel Cup winner, so winning has essentially been instilled in her DNA for years. Tied for 10th in league scoring through eight games with seven points, she’s representing her team and country well.
#22 Kennedy Marchment
Kennedy Marchment, much like her peers before her, spent four years in the NCAA. At St. Lawrence University, she had her best season in 2016-17 with 20 goals and 36 assists for 56 points in 36 games, plus was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. She spent three seasons in Svenska damhockeyligan, a league in Sweden, and put up an incredible 85 goals and 103 assists for 188 points in just 106 games.
In the PHF, she won MVP in 2021-22 and put up 68 points in her 44 total games. The 27-year-old hasn’t been heavily involved in offensive output for Montreal, but her career has been notable.
#24 Ann-Sophie Bettez
Ann-Sophie Bettez is the second-oldest player in the PWHL at 36, but she’s still playing at a high level. She played at McGill University from 2007-2012, highlighted by 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 23 contests in her senior campaign. In the CWHL, she had an astounding 263 points in 170 games from 2012-2019. Along the way, she won CWHL Rookie of the Year, MVP, and was a champion.
Even last season in the PHF, she scored 22 points in 23 contests, so Bettez is very much an important player. She has three points through her first seven games , so her age is definitely not holding her back.
#25 Melodie Daoust
Melodie Daoust is another athlete who has been at it for a while, playing at McGill University just like Bettez. From 2011-2014, she had 96 points in just 38 games, which is easily the best pace of anyone so far. Her accolades aside from that are so immense that they’re almost hard to list.
In her U18 WJC in 2010, she won gold. At the Olympics in 2014, she also won gold. In 2018, she was the MVP of the Olympics but won silver. In 2021, she had the most goals and points, the best plus/minus, and was named the best forward all at the World Championship. In 2022, she won gold at the Olympics once again. The 32-year-old has yet to play for Montreal, unfortunately.
#26 Sarah Bujold
Sarah Bujold might not have the same consistently elite stats as some of her teammates, but her accolades are still superb. At St. Francis Xavier University from 2014-2019, her time there was highlighted by a 43-point campaign in just 24 matches in 2016-17. For this, she won the Brodrick Trophy.
In the PHF last season, Bujold had 20 points in 23 games which has shown she can still play at a high level. The 27-year-old has been a roster regular but hasn’t had great success scoring-wise.
#28 Catherine Dubois
Catherine Dubois has never quite been the hugest standout points-wise, but she did have a solid collegiate career with the University of Montreal from 2015-2020. She had a career-best 17 points in 19 games in 2018-19, winning a championship in 2015-16.
The 28-year-old has played more games than not in the PWHL this season but is sitting on one goal through her first six. Her teammates are so good that her accomplishments almost seem underwhelming in comparison, but being a top-six forward is anything but underwhelming.
#29 Marie-Philip Poulin
Getting to Montreal’s captain, Marie-Philip Poulin represents them, and for good reason. Her stats at every level are jaw-dropping.
With Boston University from 2010-2015, she scored 81 goals and 100 assists for 181 points in 111 games. In her final season, she was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. In the CWHL, she had 87 goals and 97 assists for 184 points in just 93 contests. She was the MVP of the league three times from 2015-2019, which is a pretty unfathomable run.
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As if she needed more, she has 35 points in 22 games during the Olympics, plus 73 points in 58 matches during the World Championship. She has won Olympic gold three times, done it the same amount at the World Championship, and won silver seven times at the World Championship. Yes, she’s a superstar. And she’s still just 32.
This season, Poulin is still clearly one of the best women’s hockey players there are. She is tied for second in league scoring with nine points while also being tied for second in goals with six.
#42 Claire Dalton
It’s impossible for anyone to follow that act up, much less a 23-year-old. Claire Dalton has done well in her short time playing women’s hockey on the biggest stages, however. At Yale University, she had 44 goals and 89 assists for 133 points and a plus-81 rating in 130 games.
Since Dalton’s career is so young, her collegiate tenure is almost all there is to go off of. She has two points in her first nine games in the PWHL, so that’s something for someone as young as her.
#43 Kristin O’Neill
Kristin O’Neill is just 25, but has still accomplished quite a lot. With Cornell University from 2016-2020, she had 81 goals and 64 assists for 145 points in 125 games.
O’Neill has already won gold at the World Championship twice and silver once in 2023. She is another lineup regular for Montreal.
PWHL Montreal Defensemen
#2 Mariah Keopple
Mariah Keopple is our first defender and another youngster for Montreal. She put up some good numbers at Princeton University from 2018-2023, highlighted by her sophomore and senior seasons when she had 31 points and a plus-25 rating between the two in 62 games.
Through nine games, Keopple has yet to score a point, but she does have a plus-2 rating. Just 23, she has some potential.
#4 Catherine Daoust
Catherine Daoust, 28 years of age, put herself on the map in the 2013 U18 WJC when she scored three points in five games and won gold. From there, she attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and had good totals there. She scored 37 points and had a plus-16 rating in 140 games, taking that success to the PHF last season.
In the PHF in 2022-23, she scored four points in 24 games and played for Canada in the All-Star Game. Now, she is a lineup regular for Montreal.
#6 Madison Bizal
Madison Bizal is another young Montreal defender, but has significant experience in the NCAA. At Ohio State University, she compiled 79 points and a plus-82 rating in 172 contests from 2018-2023. With Montreal this season, she’s played more games than she has missed and has a plus-2 rating through six games.
#9 Kati Tabin
Kati Tabin is one of the better defenders for Montreal. At Quinnipiac University, she had 52 total points in 141 games from 2016-2020. But she was just getting started.
Last season in the PHF, Tabin led all defensemen in points with 18 and won the Isobel Cup. For the 26-year-old’s recent dominance, she has remained an important member of the team.
#10 Brigitte Laganiere
Brigitte Laganiere, 27, serves as more of a depth defenseman for Montreal. At Concordia University from 2016-2022, she progressively got better and ended her last season with 17 points in 15 games and was a USports champion.
Last season in the PHF, Laganiere had four points in 24 games, setting her up for where she is today. She’s played in six games and has one assist.
#23 Erin Ambrose
Erin Ambrose went into this season a star, and she remains such. Easily the most accomplished defender for Montreal, she won gold at the U18 WJC twice, once in the Olympics, and twice at the World Championship. At Clarkson University from 2012-2016, she had 137 points in 132 games and a plus-107 rating.
In the CWHL, Ambrose has 46 points in 59 games along with nine points in seven games during the Olympics. She is tied for second in points for PWHL defensemen through nine games with six.
#96 Dominika Laskova
For our last skater, we have Dominika Laskova. The 27-year-old has tons of experience internationally, putting up 33 points in 77 total games. In Czechia when she was young, she was a champion three times from 2011-2016 and the assist leader in 2012-13.
In the NCAA, Laskova had 31 points in 67 games at Merrimack College from 2018-2022. In the PHF last season, she had 13 points in 24 games and was an Isobel Cup champion. She was a solid choice for Montreal, but she’s yet to find her first point.
PWHL Montreal Goaltenders
#1 Mariene Boissonnault
Finally getting to goaltenders, Mariene Boissonnault is first up. Just 26, she spent 2015-2019 with Cornell University and had major success. In total, she had a 56-14-9 record with a .917 save percentage (SV%), a 1.79 goals-against average (GAA), and 15 shutouts.
She only played two games in the PWHPA last season but had a .934 SV% and a 2.00 GAA. She hasn’t played for Montreal, but she does have potential.
#20 Elaine Chuli
Elaine Chuli has been exceptional for Montreal, but that could have been seen coming from a mile away. The 29-year-old was dominant with the University of Connecticut from 2012-2016, putting up a .922 SV% despite having a 28-61-11 record and a 2.93 GAA.
In the PHF, the wins and GAA started to come when she posted a .924 SV% with a 32-7-0 record and a 2.16 GAA. In three games with Montreal this season, Chuli has a .963 SV%, a 1.31 GAA, and a 3-0-0 record despite not having a single shutout. She has been fantastic.
#35 Ann-Renee Desbiens
Ann-Renee Desbiens is the starter for Montreal and it’s obvious why. She won two World Championship gold medals and gold in the Olympics as well, and was a major contributor in those triumphs. From 2013-2017 with the University of Wisconsin, she had a .955 SV%, a 0.89 GAA, and a 99-14-9 record — she was essentially unbeatable. For this, she was a three-time Goaltending Champion. She was also a Patty Kazmaier finalist in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Desbiens’ dominance extended to the Olympics, too, where she had the best GAA in 2022 and won gold. In the Olympics overall, she has a .946 SV%, a 1.50 GAA, and a 6-0-0 record. She was even a PWHPA champion last season, so it’s no surprise that she is still excellent with a .930 SV%, a 2.11 GAA, and a 3-1-1 record through six games.
So, Montreal definitely has the talent to go far. They have the potential to be the PWHL’s first champion, but only time will tell.