Poulin and Stacey Facing Major Decisions This Offseason

The Montreal Victoire’s end-of-season media availability had a completely different tone than it did a year ago.

Last season, the first-round playoff loss to the Ottawa Charge — combined with the uncertainty surrounding the league’s first expansion process — left many players and staff with more questions than answers. The mood around the team felt heavy.

This time, after winning the Walter Cup and heading into a second expansion process that gives players a little more control, the atmosphere was noticeably lighter.

That doesn’t mean important topics weren’t discussed.

General manager Daniele Sauvageau confirmed that Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Ann-Renée Desbiens will be the team’s three protected players for expansion, while also confirming that Kori Cheverie will return behind the bench next season. Neither announcement came as much of a surprise.

Still, both Stacey and Poulin shared meaningful updates regarding their health and personal situations.

That includes both dealing with injuries.

By the end of the playoffs, Laura Stacey’s body was dealing with even more than many realized. She was playing through knee and shoulder injuries, in addition to an injury to her left pinkie finger.

The knee injury — suffered late in Game 1 against Ottawa — was the most visible one. Stacey was seen screaming in pain on the ice after the play.

“It was definitely one of the worst pains I've ever felt,” explained Stacey on Wednesday. “It was scary. I'm sure you guys all felt it, too. I know my teammates did. I was screaming. I can't say I've felt that before. Obviously, breaking my wrist wasn't a great situation, but I think I was in a bit more shock. I could at least get off the ice and get out of there. So, nobody saw how much pain I was in, whereas I was pretty stuck in that corner. So, yeah, it wasn't a great moment, obviously, but I'm pretty proud of the people that helped lift me up. It was the first time that something like that happened to me.”

Stacey continued:

“There were definitely a couple mornings, before a game, when I struggled to think that I was going to be able to make it into the lineup. But again, that medical team, they never questioned it. They knew I was going to be in it. They knew where I was going to find a way. Whatever they had in store for me was going to work. And it did. And they pulled out all the stops, and I couldn't be more appreciative because, yes, there was tons of hours and moments I literally sat there thinking, I'm not making it in the lineup tonight.”

Asked whether she would require surgery, Stacey sounded reassuring, even though she underwent multiple tests.

“I've gotten images everywhere! Honestly, I think a little bit of time and a little bit of healing, everything should be okay. Couple tests, but in general, I think it'll all come back together pretty okay.”

Montreal captain and playoff MVP Marie-Philip Poulin also addressed the knee injury she dealt with.

“It happened at the Olympics, and then a few weeks later, I aggravated the same knee injury again,” explained Poulin. “But honestly, I think the team we have here in Montreal — the physios, the doctors, everyone who was there for me — really helped me mentally and physically. I think everyone saw it: I was playing with a brace, I was all taped up. My leg felt 5 to 10 pounds heavier. It was tough, there were definitely some difficult moments, but I think that’s all part of it. I wasn’t at 100%, I don’t know what percentage I was, but I was exhausted.”

Also asked about the possibility of surgery, Poulin was less reassuring than Stacey.

“I’m still waiting for the results over the next few weeks. So, we’ll see this summer. There will be decisions to make.”

Those decisions may not only come from a health perspective.

Both Stacey, 32, and Poulin, 35, acknowledged that they’ve had conversations about starting a family. Poulin and Stacey are not just a couple, they are two of the premier players not only on the Montreal Victoire, but across the entire PWHL.

“We still haven't quite had a serious conversation yet,” confirmed Stacey. “So, for us right now, it's let's enjoy every single moment of this celebration of this team, of this group, because it is potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity. So those conversations are coming, I think as the partying wears off a little bit. That is our next step and those next conversations that need to be had.”

Looking at next season in particular, Stacey admitted she still wasn’t sure what the future holds.

“Honestly, we don't know about next year yet, to be completely fair. Obviously, we have to figure out our bodies in general as well. After a pretty tough playoff series for both of us. So, I think that's the first step is figure out what those results, what the next steps are physically and then obviously our life and our mental aspect and what we want to do as a family too. We really haven't kind of nailed down any of those thoughts yet. Obviously, they're in the back of our head and we know that it's those conversations are going to be happening in the next week or so. But to be honest, right now we, we haven't even processed next year.”

Poulin echoed Stacey’s comments, while emphasizing that her priority right now is to get healthy physically.

“There are definitely going to be some decisions to make over the next few weeks, that’s for sure. Right now, I’m just trying to come back and rehab the right way. I don’t know exactly when that’s going to happen yet, but I think it’ll be one day at a time. I still haven’t gotten all the results about what’s going on, so we’ll see from there.”

In the meantime, general manager Daniele Sauvageau had little choice. Even though both Poulin and Stacey are under contract, they still needed to be protected to prevent them from being selected in the expansion process.

“I don’t have that information as we speak,” mentioned Sauvageau. “There’s definitely rehabilitation involved. As for them talking about starting a family, they’ve been talking about that for several years now. When it’s going to happen isn’t clear — neither for them nor for us. And when it happens, it happens. But for now, we’re planning around those two players.”

Expansion was also a major topic of discussion on Wednesday.

While Abby Roque said she loves Montreal, her teammates, and the organization’s staff — adding that remaining with the Victoire is “an option, for sure” — it would also make sense for her to consider playing closer to home in Detroit. 

And unless she gets an EFO from an expansion team, when asked whether she would be willing to take less money to remain in Montreal and chase another championship — much like Marie-Philip Poulin, Ann-Renée Desbiens, and Laura Stacey did last year — Roque offered a particularly intriguing response.

“I think so,” she said. “You have to remember, this is a team that's going on their fourth year of figuring everything out that goes along with hockey. The expansion teams, the first year, things aren't always run perfectly because unfortunately, they don't have a lot of time to get things done, like, get the proper staffing, get exactly what they need. So, it is an advantage to be in this league now going on the fourth year. Teams have it set, they've figured out great staff, they figured out how to make it run really well. And I think that's something that is appealing for sure and makes it a little more of a safer bet. So, it's definitely something I've thought about, and again, I won't know anything, really, until Monday comes around.”