With Marie-Philip Poulin signing through the 2027 season, fans can breathe a sigh of relief that they'll get to witness one of the games best for at least three more years as Poulin and others near the close of their storied careers.
Alarm bells rang out when Hilary Knight announced that the 2026 Olympics would be her last. The reality that the sport would soon lose a legend from international competition hit home for many. It signalled a coming end, and a passing of the torch.
This week, with the contract extensions of Knight's Canadian counterpart, Marie-Philip Poulin, fans experienced something different – relief.
Knight made it clear that although 2026 would be her last Olympics, that she did not intend to hang up her skates completely; at least not just yet. But it also was a harbinger of what's to come.
For years women including Poulin and Knight advocated for better conditions, and better pay for professional women's hockey players. Now that those hurdles have been crossed, fans can rest easy that they'll get at least a few more seasons of watching these future Hall of Famers play in the PWHL, not simply for three weeks each year during the World Championships, and every four years at the Olympics.
For Poulin, and teammates Ann-Renee Desbiens, and Laura Stacey, their contracts were extended through the 2027-28 season. At the expiration of her contract in 2028, Poulin will be 38 years old.
Looking At The PWHL's Elder Statesmomen
In the grand scheme of PWHL veterans, Poulin is the fifth oldest player in the league this season, while the 36-year-old Knight is second, trailing only 37-year-old Ottawa Charge defender Jocelyne Larocque.
All three could end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame someday. The same could be said for many of the PWHL's over-30 bracket, who depending on the length of contract extensions given, or if they're extended at all, are on varying runways toward retirement.
Behind Larocque and Knight in the PWHL ranks is "rookie" Michelle Karvinen, who at 35 is joining PWHL Vancouver this season. Karvinen openly stated that in her Hall of Fame worthy career, there was only one challenge she had yet to take on, which was playing professionally in North America. She signed a short-term, one-year contract with Vancouver, but could re-up after this season.
Other PWHL players who fans could be watching final seasons for over the next few years include long time national team standouts like Natalie Spooner (35), Brianne Jenner (34), Kendall Coyne Schofield (33), Katerina Mrazova (33), and Jamie Lee Rattray (33).
Inaugural Contracts Set To Expire
Heading into the inaugural PWHL season, each team signed at least six players to three-year guaranteed contracts. Those deals are all set to expire this season. Some, like Poulin, Desbiens, and Stacey, have already re-upped those deals beyond their initial agreements. So have others like PWHL Vancouver goalie Emerance Maschmeyer.
The majority however, will expire following this season. That's where players like Knight, Jenner, and Coyne Schofield will look at the future, and begin to decide how long they intend to play. Natalie Spooner signed a two-year deal to remain in Toronto prior to this season, meaning she'll play through at least the 2026-27 season.
Following this year, the landscape of women's hockey's current legends will become more clear. With each passing season, new waves of talent continue to enter the league, like 2024-25 PWHL Rookie of the Year Sarah Fillier, ensuring pro women's hockey remains in good hands with new stars set to carry the torch into the future.