Reserving Judgement: Catherine Dubois Sets The Stage For Other Reserves

Catherine Dubois made a statement entrance to the PWHL. After being named a reserve for Montreal, she made her debut this week earning power play time and scoring in her first game. She's set the stage for other reserves to make an impact.

When Catherine Dubois stepped on the ice for PWHL Montreal in their 5-2 win over New York on January 10, she opened the door for other teams to begin tapping into their reserve pools with the hope of an immediate impact.

Dubois had a strong showing in Utica, New York during the PWHL Preseason, but was ultimately placed on Montreal's reserve list to open the season.

With stars including Laura Stacey and Ann-Sophie Bettez sidelined, Dubois signed a 10-day contract, stepping into Montreal's lineup, and made her presence known.

"You couldn't ask for a better performance," said Montreal head coach Kori Cheverie of Dubois' first game. "It's always amazing having a player come into a lineup who maybe hasn't been in in a while and perform the way that she did."

"Her style of play was needed, her ability to go to the net. Truly she's a fearless hockey player and that was something our group really fed off tongiht and she had a major impact on the game."

She provided a power presence for Montreal, and even found herself as the net front player on Montreal's power play. The result of that placement was a second period power play goal in her PWHL debut as Dubois banged home a puck to give Montreal a lead.

With Dubois' success, it's only a matter of time before other reserves step into the lineup, and given the contract situation among PWHL players, a 10-day contract could easily turn into a full season. 

Melodie Daoust is another reserve in Montreal, who if she draws into the lineup could be a significant impact. PWHL New York's Claire Thompson and PWHL Toronto's Victoria Bach are the other big names on the list, but Dubois is proving you don't need to be a national team alumni to step in and make an impact. While Minnesota remains undefeated at the moment, Abigail Boreen, one of their young reserves made a significant impact in the preseason and is another prime candidate to step in at some point. 

The reserve list has other talents and will certainly be utilized this season and into the future, and if the immediate impact of Catherine Dubois is any indication, teams will be interested to see what these players can do in game situations.