While it was previously reported that Marie-Philip Poulin took a pay cut to help the Montreal Victoire attract more talent, it's now known that Laura Stacey and Ann-Renee Desbiens also took less in their new deals.
Earlier this offseason, sources confirmed to The Hockey News that Montreal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin took a pay cut to help allow the Victoire to attract and retain more talent this season.
It's now clear that the second part of that rumor is also true. Poulin was not alone in her acceptance of a lower salary to help her team win, she was joined by Montreal's other foundational signings in Ann-Renee Desbiens and Laura Stacey who also took lower salaries. The trio all signed contract extensions this offseason. All three took pay cuts to help their team sign new talent.
Montreal was perhaps the most successful original six this offseason in protecting their talent from the expansion process, as well as adding notable free agents to minimize the roster impact that all teams in the league felt.
Montreal signed free agents including Hayley Scamurra, Shiann Darkangelo, Jade Downie-Landry, Jessica DiGirolamo, and Maggie Flaherty. That type of roster building would not have been possible without the salary freed up from Poulin, Desbiens, and Stacey.
Since salary figures are not public, the extent to which the trio took cuts cannot be reported. What is known however, is that the trio each accepted less to stay in Montreal, and to help the Victoire remain competitive this season, and for the coming seasons.
Desbiens, Poulin, and Stacey all signed two-year extensions through the 2027-28 season.
This season the PWHL league average salary is set at $57,783, while the league minimum climbs to $36,771. Stacey, Desbiens, and Poulin were among the original 36 players across the league to sign guaranteed three-year deals worth at least $80,000 per season.