Melodie Daoust had a difficult decision to make. She leaves behind an incredible career, one that could be Hall of Fame worthy. At 32, it seems too soon, but Daoust is leaving behind a legacy of excellent as she embarks on a coaching career.

One of the best players of her generation, Melodie Daoust, decided to call it quits on Tuesday night, not because she’s hurt or because she can’t play at the highest level, but because her personal and professional life can’t coexist anymore.

“The salaries in the PWHL are ok, but it wasn’t enough, so I had to have another job,” said Daoust during an interview with The Hockey News on Wednesday morning. “Since work-life balance is very important to me, I had a choice to make,”

“The rules were strict in the PWHL,” Daoust continued. “I could have played more last season, but the rules stated that I could only play when one of my teammates was injured. And next year, it will be even more strict, with fewer compensations and all that. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Although the PWHL states since the beginning of the season that for the very first time, women can make a living out of hockey, it is only true for the top tier players, not everyone. Some players had another job during the season, and many will work this summer too. The situation was a little different for Daoust though, who is sharing custody of her 6-year-old son. That’s why she could only play in Montreal and could not declare herself for the draft.

“Playing in a professional league is a commitment. You need to be at every practice, you need to do other things, and I could have not been able to do that all the time. My family is my number one priority, so it was an easier decision to make.”

At only 32 years old, Daoust could still play with the best, and although she suffered a few injuries in recent years, including in the PWHL playoffs, it didn’t affect her decision.

“The fact that I haven’t played as much in recent years allowed me to heal those injuries. I felt good on the ice, I was in great shape, and I had a big smile whenever I was playing,” explained Daoust, who finished the season with five points in six games. “The injury I suffered during the playoffs was nothing serious. My knee got swollen after I was hit by a shot and my leg had troubled moving. But it was not the ligaments or anything like that.”

After game number 3 in Boston, Daoust knew it was her last game. Despite everything, she’s at peace with her decision.

“I felt accomplished in what I had done in hockey, with the Olympic Games and the World championships. The last box to check was to play in a professional league. We had talked about it so much in recent years. I can now leave in peace.”

If the 2018 Olympics left a bitter-sweet taste in her mouth because she had a great tournament, but the team came back with a silver medal, the 2021 World championships in Calgary is the fondest memory of her career.

“I had a great tournament, we won gold, and my son saw me play for the first time at a high level of competition. We still talk about that moment him and I.”

Her first match in Verdun for PWHL Montreal, on March 2, is also something she will never forget.

"The love I received from the fans that day was heartwarming. I played with my good friend Marie-Philip Poulin, I scored a goal, my son and my parents were in the stands, I couldn't have asked for more. I'm happy to have been able to play here in Montreal. I had great teammates, who became friends forever. That's also the beauty of sport. The acquaintances you make are like a second family.”

Daoust will now be coaching full time, as she enters her second season as head coach at College Bourget, a prep school near Montreal. And although she confirmed that she hasn’t received an offer yet from PWHL Montreal to be part of the coaching staff, coaching is something she’d like to do more in the future, and at another level, but for the same reasons she can’t be a full-time hockey player, this is not something she can do at the moment.

“When my son will be older and more independent, this is something I’d like to do,” she said. “In the meantime, I will coach at Bourget, but I could also do something in the media or on social media.”

Daoust won three Olympic medals, including two gold medals. She won the bronze at the worlds in 2019, and the gold in 2018. She was named MVP at the 2018 Olympics and again, at the 2021 World championships. And she’s still leading the all-time list at McGill University for goals, assists, and points.

Will it be enough to enter, one day, the Hockey Hall of Fame? Her former coach at McGill University, Peter Smith, thinks so.

“She had a tremendous impact on hockey in general and she has the accolades to go with it,” Smith, also a former head coach and assistant coach for Team Canada, said. “She always wanted to learn, always listened, and was very easy to coach. Grit and resilient would best describe her. The highlight of my career is to have coached someone like Melodie. She’s definitely hall of fame material.”